Blue Moon
by ChibiChibi
Summary: Crossover with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Post-Eclipse, pre-wedding and post S7. On one rare sunny morning in Forks, Bella Swan receives two visitors who will turn her life and the life of the Cullens upside down once again.
1. Preface

**A/N: Alright, against my better judgment, I had to give in to my plot bunny and start this story. So, just a warning beforehand – the updates _WILL_ be slow, because I already have two other stories that always want to be updated, but I will do the best I can, I promise.**

**And now I don't want to say much more, except that I hope you will give this story a chance. **

**Disclaimer: The "Twilight Series" belongs to the wonderful author Stephenie Meyer and the fantastic tv show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is all Joss Whedon's doing. I don't earn any money with their characters and stories.**

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Preface

If someone had told me a few weeks ago that today I would once again be in the clearing where not so long ago people I loved had been risking their lives for me, and that I was once again facing almost certain death, well… I probably would have believed them. Because what Edward said was, after all, true. I'm really a magnet for danger – of all kinds.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest and, most-likely alarmed by this, I noticed Edward's worried topaz colored eyes on me. I turned to him and tried to give him a reassuring smile. I must have failed, because his brows narrowed and he squeezed my hand, as if he wanted to encourage me.

I knew he'd rather have me hiding away, somewhere where they wouldn't be able to find me. But not this time. Tonight, I was going to fight at their side. It was what I had to do.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon and I wondered fleetingly, as I gazed into my fiancés face, if this was the last time I saw the sunlight sparkle on his skin. I kept looking into his eyes, trying to memorize the loving look he gave me, until I could hear the growls in the distance.

I offered him one last smile, before I let go of his hand and turned my full attention to the danger ahead. I tightened the grip on my weapon. It almost vibrated in my hands.

They were here.

It was time to fight.


	2. Destiny

**Destiny**

I sighed deeply, as I after a very long day sat down in the soft leather seats of the silver Volvo, glad that another day of planning was finally, finally over. When this whole thing had started, I believed everyone had hoped that Alice's enthusiasm would be contagious – well, it seemed to work on everyone, except for me. I was just glad when everything was over. The reason for this was quite simple: All my life I had been taught to cringe at the thought of frilly white dresses, long ceremonies which ended with the words 'I do' and a kiss, and basically the whole concept of marriage. Renée, my dear chaotic mother, had made sure of that.

The door on my side was barely closed, as Edward already took his seat behind the wheel, looking at me worriedly. I know that I wasn't the most eager fiancée, but Edward had known, what he was getting into, when he had asked me to become his wife, so I only felt a bit bad for him. Most of the time. Still, when he was looking at me, like he did now, his eyes telling me that he would immediately call everything off, just to make me happy, the guilt of being unfair to him returned at full force.

I was asking so much of him, so much more than he did of me, so I think it was only fair of me to give him this, my hand in marriage. Actually - relatively seen - it really was such a small favor compared to changing me into a vampire and, as Edward would say, turning me into a monster.

I tried to give Edward a small reassuring smile, at the same time as I tried to convince myself – again, I should add – that marriage wouldn't be too bad. I was slowly getting used to all the stares and the whispers of the inhabitants of Forks. I even only blushed half as much as before, when I heard them gossiping about me.

Yeah, right, some inner voice mocked me.

Of course, everyone had jumped to the apparently most-likely conclusion at first – that I was pregnant. Even Charlie. To say he hadn't reacted well to the news of the wedding was a bit of an understatement. For a moment, I had thought that he would suffocate, and then for another I had feared that he would shoot Edward. In the end, he had just grudgingly accepted that I wasn't a little girl anymore and just informed me that I still had to tell Renée. I could tell that he still wasn't excited about it, but I hadn't expected it to be different.

However, Renées reaction couldn't have been more startling, after I had finally gathered all my courage to tell her that I was going to marry Edward. Instead of berating and warning me, she had just said that she had been expecting it for a while, actually since Edward and I had been to see her. 'You are much more mature than I probably ever will be,' she had said and added that I'm not like her and that I know when I'm making the right decision. Since that day, Renée was fully immersed in the wedding plans, talking to either Alice or Esme every second day to get some updates and offer her ideas. I was really surprised that she was still keeping at it, as nothing had held her attention for more than two or three weeks until now.

"Bella?" Edward's melodious voice tore me out of the thoughts I had gotten so lost in. His topaz colored eyes had become even more worried and he reached up to tug a stray strand of hair behind my ear. My breath caught and my heart stuttered, as his cold fingers brushed my cheek. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing, really…" I shook my head with a small smile, more to fight against the dazzling effect his touch and voice had on me than to emphasize what I had said. "Just everyone's reactions, the… you know… in general. Nothing we haven't talked about before." I know it must hurt him that I couldn't even say the word and it reminded me briefly of the Harry Potter movie that Alice had made us watch the other night, where no one dared to say the name of the evil wizard, because they were so afraid of him.

"Oh, Bella," he sighed, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips. "Let's get you home. You look tired."

"I am tired," I admitted, as he already turned the key in the ignition. The motor of the Volvo began to purr softly and before I knew it, we were on the road through the forest. As soon as the light from the Cullens' house had faded away, I noticed how true my statement was, as my eyelids began to drop. Edward noticed this and put his arm around me, pulling me against his chest. I tried to protest, wanting to tell him – as usual – to concentrate on the road, but as I inhaled his unique scent I forgot about everything around me and just closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep on the short drive home, as I suddenly found myself lying on my bed, with Edward kneeling at my feet, pulling off my shoes. He put his fingers to his lips, before I could say something, so I just whispered, "Charlie?"

"Asleep," he answered quietly. He put my shoes in front of my closet and then sat down on my bed. Almost of its own accord, his hand began to glide through my hair, as he was looking at me with a fond smile on his face. "You were so peaceful and I didn't want to wake you."

I simply sighed, as I leaned into his touch, my eyes already closing again. I was really so unbelievably tired, but I blamed the stress and all those weird dreams that came with it. Graduation, Victoria, the wedding… and everything that would come after that. It really was no wonder that I was so tired. But I knew that I couldn't go back to sleep, yet.

"Human minute," I murmured sleepily and sat up. Edward chuckled quietly, as he pulled me to my feet and gave me my old pajamas.

"I'll wait for you," he told me.

Trying not to trip over my own feet, as I was almost sleep-walking to the bathroom, I desperately tried to stay awake. So I quickly brushed my teeth and attended to all my other needs, before I returned to my room, ready to give in to sleep. When we were lying in my bed, Edward pulled me into his arms and placed a soft kiss on my forehead, saying goodnight, and before he had even finished humming the first few lines of my lullaby, I was already fast asleep.

My dreams were again really creative that night. I was standing in the clearing, where the Cullens and Quileutes had fought against Victoria and the newborns. But I wasn't alone. Only a few feet in front of me there was a young woman, probably just a few years older than me. Her long blond hair was shining in the rare sunlight and she was smiling at me. However, despite the smile, her tone was serious, as she said, "They are coming. You have to be ready."

"Ready?" I asked confused. "For what?" I was fairly sure that I didn't know this woman, and yet I felt connected to her.

"For your destiny."

Something blinked in the sunlight and first now I noticed that she was holding something silver in her right hand. Whatever it was, it was beautiful. It looked like a weapon, like an axe or a scythe. And it was calling to me.

Extending her right hand, she offered me that weapon. "This is yours now, too."

I lifted my hand, but at the same moment, as I touched the weapon, a glaring light engulfed me. I had to close my eyes against the bright light and when I opened them again, I was looking directly into Edward's eyes.

I had to blink a few times, as I noticed that I was back in my room. It was still dark outside, but I could still make out his face in the darkness. "What is it?" I asked groggily, as I tried to sit up, but Edward gently pushed me down again.

"Nothing," he murmured soothingly. "Alice just called. The clouds will disappear in twenty-three minutes and they won't return until Sunday night. The whole family will use this chance to go hunting over the weekend."

His voice sounded regretful and I could understand him only too well. "So I will first see you again tomorrow night?"

"I'm afraid so." His cool lips brushed mine carefully. "I wish I could stay."

"I wish, you could stay, too…" But both of us knew that it wasn't possible. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." He gave me one last soft kiss and then he was already gone.

With a sigh, I closed my again and tried to go back to sleep. But it was easier said than done. I was so used to Edward's presence in my room, in my bed, that I couldn't sleep well without him any longer. When I, after a long time of just lying awake and trying not to think about all the things that bothered me, finally fell asleep, the sky was already getting lighter and the dream I had before waking up was long forgotten.

When I finally woke up later, much later, that morning, Edward was gone – some part of my sleepy mind told me that he had said goodbye earlier that morning and I suddenly remembered lying awake long after he had gone – and my room was much lighter than usual. Just as Alice had predicted, the sun was shining brightly, with not a single cloud to be seen at the sky. About two years ago I would have been happy about that, but now it was different. It just meant that I really wouldn't see Edward until tomorrow night, when they would return from their hunting trip. I had been silently hoping that it would be at the least cloudy, but I knew that it was selfish. Just as I needed my three meals a day, Edward and the other Cullens needed their fill of whatever they would find while hunting every couple of days.

I sighed as I came out of the bathroom, dressed in blue Capri pants and a T-shirt, pulling my damp hair into a pony-tail, when suddenly the doorbell rang. I knew that Charlie was still there, so I didn't run downstairs to get the door – I would have probably broken my leg or neck, if I had done this, anyway. I didn't expect any visitors today, so I was surprised when I heard Charlie's voice call me, "Bella? Could you please come downstairs?"

"Okay!" I called back and slowly walked down the stairs, especially careful not to trip. I had been extremely accident-prone lately, more so than usual even, breaking things left and right, much to Emmett's amusement. I blamed my growing clumsiness on the pre-wedding jitters and I hoped that it would be back to normal, once I was Mrs. Edward Cullen, or even better, disappear completely when I was finally one of them. Although my subconscious had started to tease me that my special talent as a vampire would most likely be my clumsiness. Pushing those unwelcome thoughts away, I pressed my lips into a thin line of concentration, as I watched exactly where I put my feet on the steps, because it would be too embarrassing, if one of my accidents happened in front of guests.

"Bella," Charlie said, as I stepped into the kitchen. Next to him two persons were standing – a young woman with brilliant red hair and a dark haired young man with an eye-patch. "These are Ms. Rosenberg and Mr. Harris. They say that they are here to talk to you about college." Charlie gave me a pointed look. I frowned at him, hoping that he would get the idea that I wasn't interested in going anywhere but Alaska. I still insisted on going there to collegeinstead of Dartmouth, much to Charlie's _and_ Edward's annoyance – not that I would be able to visit any classes anyway, because honestly, in the next year I would probably be far too dangerous, regarding humans as Happy Meals on legs, to be able to be around them and going to college with them.

"Hello," I greeted them, after I had turned away from Charlie, warily shaking their hands. I somehow didn't like the way they were looking at me. Their faces were calm, unreadable, and this sent a shiver down my spine. Something told me that they hadn't been entirely truthful, when they told Charlie what they were here for. "What can I do for you?"

In the meantime, Charlie had already grabbed a light jacket, which had hung over a chair. "Can I leave you alone, Bells? You know I wanted to…"

I chuckled, trying to keep the unease out of my voice, as I said, "Go ahead, dad. You don't want to let the fish wait any longer. And say hi to Billy for me…" He gratefully grinned at me, although it was a bit subdued at my casual mention of Billy, bid my guests a good day and left through the door. I looked after him for a moment and sighed quietly. He was still a bit reserved around me, mostly because of the wedding, but also because I was taking Billy's side concerning… Jake, or rather Jake's… absence, but he was slowly coming around. I inwardly shook my head… Now wasn't the time to brood about my missing best friend.

After I heard the cruiser pull out of the driveway, I turned my full attention back to my guests. They were still looking at me, as if I had grown horns or maybe a tail. I even had to resist patting my head to make sure that I really didn't have two new appendixes. Alice would be so angry, if something like this were to ruin the wedding pictures. Unfortunately thoughts of Alice immediately led to thoughts of Edward and how much I wished that he were here now. I suppressed a sigh, as I gathered my courage to talk to my guests. "Please, take a seat," I told them, motioning to the kitchen table. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you," the woman, Ms. Rosenberg, replied, while this Mr. Harris simply shook his head, as they sat down. Both of them were apparently uneasy and this didn't help my situation much. Over the course of the last two years I had developed some kind of sixth sense that told me, when there was something going on and this sense was screaming at me right now. I sat down across from them, folding my hands in front of me on the table to keep them from fidgeting and looked at them expectantly. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what they would want to talk to me about. But the way they were looking at me still made me nervous. "I'm sorry for just barging in like that."

"It's okay," I reassured them quickly, even though I didn't mean it. I wanted them gone, like five minutes ago. Edward would be so angry, when he found out that I talked to two strangers, completely alone. But their hands hadn't been cold, when I had shaken them, their eyes looked pretty human and they also didn't sparkle in the sunlight that streamed into the kitchen. I tried to calm myself. After having taken a deep breath, I finally asked, "So, how can I help you?"

They exchanged a quick glance, which made me feel even more uneasy. My whole body tensed, as I waited for one of them to speak, playing with the ring Edward had stuck on my left ring finger. Much to my surprise, as I had expected the red-haired woman to do the talking, it was Mr. Harris, who began with a soothing voice, which at that moment only worried me more, "Miss Swan, we are now going to tell you something that might sound unbelievable, but we ask you to hear us out, alright?"

I nodded weakly, but my mind obviously had other plans. _Tell them to leave, _Edward's velvety voice said. Oh great, now I was hallucinating again. But it wasn't just my mind that heard the warning bells at this declaration. Somehow my gut feeling also told me that they were going to tell me something I didn't want to hear.

The two strangers exchanged one more glance, but this time it was deep and meaningful, almost as if they were communicating. This reminded me of the silent conversations I so often had to witness between Edward and his family. Eventually, after what had seemed like hours to me, Ms. Rosenberg spoke. "Miss Swan – may I say Isabella?"

"Bella," I corrected instinctively.

"Bella," the woman smiled. "I'm Willow and this is Xander. I think that this will be much easier, if we're on first-name basis."

I didn't say anything to that. As far as I was concerned, I would never see those two people again, once they had left this house. At this moment, I swore to myself. No matter what they would tell me, nothing would change. I would still get married, I would still get changed. I was still staring at them, my eyes probably narrowed in distrust, and I noticed that I was making them slightly uncomfortable. Good.

The woman, _Willow_, cleared her throat. "Well, Bella… have you felt somehow different in the past few… weeks?"

"Different? How?" I challenged. "You're not here to talk to me about college, are you?"

"In a way, yes, we are. We're representatives of Rupert Giles' School for Gifted Girls," she said with a nervous smile. "But back to my question. When I say different, I mean do you feel stronger somehow? Have you broken things by accident? Have you noticed that you've become faster, more skilled maybe? Did you maybe have an injury that healed much faster than it usually does? Do you have weird dreams that you can't explain?"

I froze, but my voice sounded strong, when I only said, "I've always been accident-prone, so it's not unusual for me to break things." But at the same time I said this, I noticed something that I hadn't realized before. While I had, in fact, broken a lot of things, I'd never once tripped. And I had even managed to dodge once, when Alice had wanted to tackle me with some new clothes, something that shouldn't have been possible. And then my broken hand, which had stunned Carlisle, when he noticed one week after the fight against Victoria that it was completely healed. Not to mention the strange dreams, as I suddenly remembered the one from the previous night.

Both of them looked slightly confused by my declaration, as if they had expected something entirely different. I hoped that my face didn't show any of the revelations I'd just had. I don't know, when the change had happened, but I couldn't deny that something had changed in me.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I first noticed that the man, _Xander_, had thrown something at me, when I had already caught the small and soft ball only inches in front of my face. I lowered my fist in shock and opened it, revealing the ball, which had lost its round form in my grip. My hand began to shake and the ball fell to the ground, as I had to clutch the edge of the kitchen table to keep myself from fleeing.

It had finally happened – Edward had waited so long for it – I wanted to run away screaming.

"Bella," the young woman said softly. I looked up and saw them gazing at me in concern.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered. This wasn't me. This wasn't the clumsy Bella I had known the last almost nineteen years. That Bella could have never caught that ball or done any of the other things I had just realized I had done. _Edward,_ I called in my mind, wishing that he could hear me. _Where are you? I need you!_

"I believe," Xander said, "that it's best to start from the very beginning. Please, just hear us out. As I already said, it will sound unbelievable, but we've been in your position, too, many years ago, so please at least listen to what we have to tell you." I nodded weakly, trying to find my courage. I had survived James, werewolves, the Volturi and Victoria. This really couldn't be that bad. But the instinct to flee was growing with each passing second. "You see, a long time, a really long time ago, demons walked the Earth and it was their home, or rather, their hell, until mankind came and the demons had to leave this reality. Of those old demons, not much is left. Magic and certain creatures, weaker demons… Among others—"

"Vampires," I mumbled, my eyes wide with sudden realization. Something splintered beneath my fingers and I noticed that I had almost managed to break off a part of kitchen table. I removed my hands from the table immediately, clasping them tightly together, as I first now saw the finger deep dents in the wood. How could they know? I thought the existence of vampires was the best kept secret in the world.

The two strangers must have interpreted my reaction wrongly, assuming that I didn't believe in the existence of vampires. Xander nodded gravely. "Yes, vampires are real. As are werewolves and many other demons, you've only had nightmares about. But to continue my story… to fight those demons, the Powers That Be needed a warrior for their side and that's were you come in." He cleared his throat. "In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer." He didn't say more, instead they both just regarded me calmly, apparently waiting for a reaction.

I shook my head slowly, in denial, as everything slowly clicked into place. Tears began to burn in my eyes, as I mumbled, "No."

"But," Willow suddenly said, before I could say more. "Xander was not finished with his story. You see, we changed the rules. Until a few weeks ago, what Xander said was true. There was just one Slayer, and when the Slayer died, a new one was called. Have you heard of Sunnydale?"

"The sinkhole?" I asked stupidly, not understanding why she would suddenly change the subject. It had been all Forks could talk about for a few days after it had happened – next to my engagement to Edward of course. A whole town in California had disappeared in a sinkhole. It had appeared in the news two days after the battle against Victoria, but the town itself had found its demise… on exactly the same day as the battle.

"Yes, just, it isn't just a simple sinkhole," Xander explained. "Sunnydale was right on top of a Hellmouth and the day the whole town collapsed, the Slayer and a lot of Potential Slayers, which means girls that could have become the next Slayer, went down into the Hellmouth to battle against an army of ubervamps. But just the Slayer and some normal girls, even though they had the potential to be called as the next Slayer, would have never been enough. So Buffy, the Slayer, decided to share her power with all the other girls and with the help of a mythical weapon and some nifty magic, Willow managed to turn all the girls into real Slayers."

"And I'm one of them." I had been on such an emotional roller coaster on that day and the days after that, I had never really noticed the changes in me. But now that those two strangers had pointed them out, I couldn't deny it any longer. If what they had just told me was really true, then I was one of those… Slayers.

Willow nodded with a small smile. "Yes, Bella. You are a Vampire Slayer. One of many girls out there, we are trying to find and offer a place at our school, so that they have the possibility to train those new abilities you have now and prepare you for the fight against vampires and other demons. But contrary to all those Slayers before our little… revolution, you will have a choice."

"What do you mean?" I asked. My mind was running wild. I couldn't think straight. Nothing was making sense any more. I just wanted them to leave, and yet I needed some more answers. I looked directly at the red-haired woman, who wasn't really that much older than me, waiting for an answer, which she was quickly willing to give.

"While before, the Slayer never had a choice, if she wanted to fight or not, you can now decide, if you want to join the battle, or if you want to continue your life. However, if you should decide to remain here and live your life like you used to, the least we have to do is to insist on offering you some training, so that you can learn to control your abilities and defend yourself, should you ever come across a demon. I don't want to scare you, but as a Slayer, you give off some vibes that will tell demons what you are. On the other hand, you can also feel the demons. Our friend calls it her spider sense."

It was making sense, somewhat… But still… I shook my head. "I can't…" I noticed again that I was playing with the ring on my finger, the ring Edward had given me. "I'm getting married in a few weeks," I suddenly told them softly and saw as their eyes went wide. "I'm sorry." My voice was stronger now, as I thought of Edward. "I can't come with you. And I have to ask you to leave now. My fiancé should be here soon." It was a blatant lie, but I didn't care about that. I wanted them gone, so that I could think. And there really was a lot I had to think about.

"Congratulations, Bella… Your fiancé must be a lucky man. And as to your decision, we understand," Xander said, and his brown eye showed that his words really were sincere. He offered a small smile, as he got up from the chair and took a small card out of his breast pocket, which he put in front of me on the table. "And I'm also sorry for dropping this whole thing on you like this. But, should you change your mind, or if you have some more questions, it's my mobile number on that card. We will hang around in Port Angeles for a few more days, if you want to talk to us in person."

"Thank you," I murmured and took the card without looking at it.

"Bella," Willow now said and her eyes were so incredibly sad that I had to resist the urge to comfort her. "I'm really sorry… But at that time, the spell was our only chance to save the world. I know that I made many girls unhappy and I can understand that you don't want to be a part of it."

I simply nodded, not daring to say anything. It was obvious that she really felt bad about it and I could understand their reasons for doing this perfectly well. Wasn't I in a similar situation? Didn't I plan to give up my life, ready to hurt people in the process, for saving the lives of other people I loved?

I didn't get up from the chair to show them out, but they seemed to understand and left the house on their own after saying a quick goodbye. The door fell shut behind them and I could hear a car drive away, and yet I didn't move from the spot.

Slowly the realization of what this really meant dawned on me and I had to close my eyes, feeling dizzy.

Edward really had been right, when he had said one and a half years ago that I was a magnet for trouble.

Who would have thought that it apparently was my destiny to be his mortal enemy?


	3. Challenge

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A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I've had to write a few papers for university, then I was on vacation and after that had a slight problem with my motivation… And when I was finally writing this chapter, I just couldn't stop, so it's a long one this time. I could have gone on much longer, but I didn't want to let you wait anymore, so I thought this might be a good place to stop.

**Also I want to thank you all for your reviews! I'm glad someone reads and likes this story, because this is what we authors live for. :o)**

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Challenge

I couldn't remember how long I had been sitting in the kitchen, brooding over what those two strangers had told me. I only remembered that my stomach started growling at some point and that I automatically fixed a bowl of cereals, which I then didn't touch, just for having something to do. Even though I was hungry, I had no appetite und felt nauseated just by looking at the mushy mess in the bowl. But, when I pushed the bowl away, my eyes landed on the new dents in the kitchen table, dents that I had caused with my fingers.

And even though I knew how it happened, remembered the situation clearly actually, and in some weird way also understood why I was strong enough to hurt the poor table, I still couldn't believe what I saw. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the mind-blowing fact that I should be some mystical and mythical warrior, destined to battle and kill _demons_ like werewolves and vampires.

I cringed, when the thought that my status as Switzerland was no longer valid hit me.

One might think that after having been exposed to the world of the supernatural for more than eighteen months I would be prepared for having a bomb shell like this dropped on me. I wondered when I would stop being surprised, when something new of that world was revealed to me. After all, if vampires and werewolves existed, why not also things like magic and – I winced – a warrior called the Vampire Slayer?

I had just realized again, how much I still didn't know about the world I was about to join in a few weeks. I had thought I was prepared for this, but now, after finding out about those new things, I wondered what else was out there. And how much about this did the Cullens know and not tell me? Did they want me to find out about all these things on my own – that there always existed a girl out there – now only God knew how many - hell-bent on killing them? Or was it possible that they didn't even know about this?

I shook my head and buried my face in my trembling hands. Carlisle had lived for more than three hundred years – he must have heard of the Vampire Slayer, at least. Their natural enemy. Or, their natural enemy besides the werewolves. Surely they would have told me? But then again, I hadn't known about the werewolves until I met… Jake.

Suddenly, another thought hit me. Did _he _know about the Slayer? Or Sam or Billy or one of the other elders of the tribe?

Shaking my head again, I frowned. I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe they _really_ didn't know. Maybe they had just heard of the myth, but had then discarded it. After all, how should one little girl be able to destroy a vampire, a feat even a single wolf would have some problems with? It didn't make sense, not even to me. After all, even though I realized that something had changed in me, I still didn't feel strong enough to take on a vampire and win.

But… how strong was I? I could make dents in a wooden table without really noticing it, I managed to break sturdy things by accident, but was that the only thing I could do? Ms. Rosen— _Willow_ mentioned something about being faster, more skilled? That I healed a lot faster I had already noticed, but what about the other two? I hadn't really tripped since the battle against the newborns, but was I faster? I had never tried to run or to move faster in any way, too scared to fall, as I had been prone to. Had this changed?

I had so many questions, but as my eyes fell on the card Xander had given me, I knew that I wouldn't call them. Not yet. I still hadn't come to terms with what I was supposed to be. I still almost expected them to come back and tell me that it was just a joke which was right at this moment aired on TV all over the US. I imagined my deep blush, as they told me this, and how much Emmett would get a kick out of it. It might have even been his idea to send the people from TV to me, hoping that he might prank me with this. After all, I already believed in vampires and werewolves, then why shouldn't I also believe in _this_?

_If_ it was just one of Emmett's pranks, I swore to myself that I would make sure to humiliate him as often as possible in my first year as a vampire, as long as I was still stronger than him. I would make him pay.

But if it wasn't a prank, and all of this was real, what should I do then? How could I possibly tell the Cullens that I'm now supposed to be their enemy?

My hands began to tremble, as I was forced to think about this, and I shook my head again. The crazy thought that I would surely get a concussion, if I kept doing this, shaking my head, flitted through my mind and I grinned wryly. When I healed faster, wouldn't it then only be natural that I was also not as breakable as I had been before? It might be true, I thought, as I realized that I hadn't even bruised in the past few weeks.

Just… what else was there?

A sudden rush of panic swept through me and I froze. I noticed how the blood left my face and my hands began to tremble again. Without even thinking, without even knowing what I should do, or even what I was planning to do, I mechanically rose from the chair and walked towards the door. I pulled on my old tennis shoes and grabbed the keys for my truck on the way out and finally left the house.

I only knew one thing – I had to get out.

I climbed into my truck in a dreamlike state, my hands still shaking, as I put the key in the ignition. The truck started with its usual deafening roar, but I didn't hear it, as I pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. I just began to drive, not knowing where to go and what to do. I just had to get away.

It all seemed so unreal, surreal actually, with the unusual blinding sun glaring down at me. It almost seemed as if I had entered the Twilight Zone, when I got up this morning. My whole world had been turned upside down with this revelation this morning and nothing seemed right anymore. It didn't really seem real anymore.

And suddenly I knew where I had to go. The only place that would show me that this world was still real, that it was still _my_ world. The meadow.

If my truck had been able to do it, I would have swerved directly on the road, just as the fast cars in the movies always did it (and probably Edward too, when I wasn't with him in the car), but considering the age of the truck, I had to pull into a side street and turn the car really slowly. Once I was again driving into the right direction, I wished for the first time that I had given in, when Edward had tried to convince me to give me a new, faster car. Right now, at this moment, it appeared as if I couldn't arrive at my destination fast enough!

As soon as I had passed the city limits on the one-oh-one, I willed my truck to go faster, heard it groan in protest, as I slammed my foot down on the accelerator and pushed the poor car to its limits and beyond. The motor seemed to become even louder, as I pushed and pushed, not once removing my foot or even pulling it back. The needle hit fifty-five, sixty and at least an amazing sixty-five, which I had never expected.

I kept driving at this unreasonable speed until I reached the turnoff to the one-ten, torturing the engine until the very last moment, when I reached the end of the pavement. It was only ironic that, just when I finally was about to release my Chevy and kill the engine, a big cloud of white steam and smoke nearly exploded from under the hood and my trusty prehistoric truck wheezed its last breath before it died. If I hadn't been running on autopilot, I probably would have felt more than that light sting of regret at seeing the Chevy die, but with its death, my sudden urge to go to the meadow only strengthened. A world where my trusty old truck died just couldn't be _my_ world anymore.

Not even bothering to lock my truck behind me, I jumped out of the cab and immediately turned to the non-trail that would bring me to the meadow. However, before I left, I threw one look back over my shoulder. Steam was still rising from under the hood, destroying whatever hope I still might have had that I had just imagined it.

And then, I simply took off running.

The non-existing path that had always been such a challenge for me, suddenly felt like a flat surface, or, even better, as if there was nothing under my feet at all and I was flying. Trees whizzed past me, as I ducked under branches and jumped over roots. I let my new instincts take over, let my new won skills guide me through this maze of green and brown. I didn't fall once. I didn't even stumble. And before I knew it, long before I even expected it, I was standing in the meadow.

My breath had barely quickened during the five-miles-run, but still my heart was beating wildly. But not with exhaustion, as it was wont to, no, my heart was beating with exhilaration. And I finally understood why Edward loved running so much. How could someone not love this absolute sense of freedom, the feeling as if you were flying? At this moment, I couldn't imagine why I used to feel sick after traveling this way with Edward. There simply weren't any words to describe this amazing feeling.

Except that I was slowly growing more and more scared, as my exhilaration began to ebb away. I was here, standing in the middle of the meadow, in the bright sunlight. Just as I had for the first time with Edward. A bit of the meadow's magic was still there, even without him being here with me, but it was not enough yet to convince me that it was still my world, and not some crazy parallel universe. Because I was still a changed person. This couldn't be right. Bella Swan shouldn't have been able to do this, to run the whole way. Bella Swan should have stumbled and broken her neck or leg. Just… what had happened to this person?

There was really only one answer that made sense – that I was really a Vampire Slayer.

A strange calm came over me, almost as if Jasper was manipulating my feelings, as I slowly, but surely began to accept this reality. I had tested most of the things Willow and Xander had told me. I was strong? – check. I was fast? – check. I was more graceful than humanly possible? – check.

Were my days as clumsy Bella over before I had expected it?

Apparently.

Slowly a small smile spread over my face. Despite the fact that I, according to my new Calling, was now supposed to be the Cullens' enemy – a fact that I would keep ignoring, until I absolutely had to face it – I supposed I could enjoy this newfound freedom, those abilities. At least now it wouldn't come as much as a shock, when I became a vampire myself and suddenly started to be good at everything. I could regard it as some kind of transition phase.

And until then, I guessed I should try to find out, just what exactly it was I could do. Where were my limits?

I looked around, but noticed that the meadow was too small for any experiments involving running. Then I suddenly saw it. The poor tree that had been mangled when Edward had wanted to show me just how dangerous he was. I sprinted towards it and reached it before I knew it. I knew that I wasn't nearly as fast as Edward, but I was still faster than I could have ever hoped to be. I would just have to try running a longer distance again to see how fast I really could go – I frowned as I realized that I still had to get home somehow.

My eyes wandered around, as I looked for something else that might be a challenge for me. I was looking for a thick branch, inspired by what Edward had done what seemed like an eternity ago. I found it a couple of trees away and warily walked up to it. It was still hard to grasp that I should be strong enough to rip it off. Hesitantly, I reached up to the thick branch with my right hand and grasped it tightly. Immediately I noticed my fingers dig into the wood and flinched. And then, I closed my eyes, counted till three under my breath and tore the hand down. The branch came down with the hand and a loud cracking noise. I couldn't help it. I gasped and threw the branch away. It flew quite a few feet before it slammed to the ground, and I took a step back, startled.

It was then that I noticed it – a light tingle in the back of my mind, which steadily grew stronger. Something was not right. Someone, or something, was here, watching me. I slowly crouched down and instinctively picked up a sturdy looking and pointy branch, while I kept gazing around with wary eyes.

I remembered the last time I'd been here alone only too well, still shuddering at the thought of what would have happened, if the pack hadn't arrived in time. So it was only natural that I slowly walked back into the clearing, ready to defend myself or run away if necessary. A rustling sound to my right startled me and I whirled around, my heart beating loudly again, as it pushed adrenalin through my veins. I waited with bated breath and gripped the branch tighter. All my senses were in overdrive and I noticed that the tingle was still growing stronger.

Again a cracking sound, this time behind me, and again I whirled around. But I had never expected what I would see between the trees. Black eyes stared at me, I would say in disbelief – mirroring my own gaze -, and a low whine escaped the russet wolf's throat. With a shaking hand, I lowered the branch and eventually let it fall to the ground next to me.

"Jake?" I mumbled, my voice trembling almost as much as my hand. Halfway hidden in the shadows, the gigantic wolf was regarding me with a wary look on his face. I took a hesitant step forward, but immediately stopped, when a low and threatening growl reached my ears. Raising my hands slowly to show that I wasn't intending any harm, I asked again, "Jake? Is that you?"

Of course it was him. I would recognize my best friend anywhere, no matter if he was human or wolf. I only knew one wolf with this coloring, with those black eyes. But why did he growl at me? Didn't he recognize me any longer?

A cool breeze sent goose bumps over my arms, but it wasn't this that worried me. The wolf wrinkled its nose and it growled again. My eyes suddenly widened in realization. Although I had showered this morning, I knew by now that it would take a lot more than one shower to wash Edward's and the Cullens' scent out of my hair and skin. It probably didn't help that my clothes also smelled like Edward. I also remembered the feeling of being watched while I was doing my small exercises. It would only be too easy to put two and two together for a werewolf who didn't know the full story.

I did things no human should have been able to do.

I smelled like a vampire.

Ergo, Jake thought I'd become one of the Cullens earlier than he had thought.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I swore under my breath, though I didn't know if I meant Jake or myself. "Listen, Jake," I said louder, "this isn't what you think. Just… listen. Do you smell my blood? Hear my heartbeat? And look at me. I'm standing directly in the sunlight. Do I sparkle? I promise, I'm not one of them." _Yet._ "There's just…" I let the sentence trail off, not really knowing how to explain this to Jacob. I hoped that he would let it go, for now.

I held my breath, as Jake became really quiet and then took a few steps forward and tilted his head to his side, as if he were taking a good look at me. That's good, Jake, I thought, relieved, when I believed to see confusion in his eyes. He took another step towards me and another and then, in just a few strides, he was standing directly in front of me. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. I had forgotten, just exactly how _big_ he was.

"Hey Jake," I mumbled softly. "How are you?" He lowered his head a bit and I could see directly into his beady eyes. The pain in them was still evident. "I'm sorry, Jake… I really am. But I'm also glad to see you. I'm glad you're back." He whined again and took a step away from me. "You are back, aren't you? You know, Billy, Quil, Embry and the rest of the pack would be really happy to know that you're here. But of course they know already, don't they?"

I chuckled, but it was forced. Seeing Jake now, no matter how happy I was about it, was just one more thing I really didn't need today. It was slowly getting to be too much. But luckily my ability to repress unpleasant things and feelings was still as good as it had ever been and I managed to keep my bearings. However, it was only a matter of time, until the dam would break.

All of a sudden, a new panic hit me, as what I've just said shot again through my mind. "Jake," I breathed. "The pack… they… they've seen what I've done, what I'm capable of, right?" I looked directly into the wolf's black eyes and I think that he could see the panic, the horror in mine. He nodded his huge head, slowly, carefully. I took a deep breath, hoping to rein in the growing panic and terror, and said as calmly as possible, "Jake… please… the others may not tell anyone else of this. Tell Sam or whoever is listening this. I don't want anyone else to know yet about what you've just seen."

My eyes were locked with Jake's, as I said this, trying to convey to him just how important this was for me. His eyes became distant for a moment, and I guessed that he was talking to the others. So I waited. Biting on my lower lip, I watched his face. I hoped that I might see something in his face – as hard as it might be on a wolf's face – that might tell me what the pack thought about this. It took a bit longer than expected, but eventually I could see that Jake's full attention was directed at me. Then, he shook his head.

"What? They won't keep this to themselves?" I gasped, as Jake nodded.

The panic I had fought so hard until now resurfaced again, stronger than before. My legs suddenly felt weak, but another emotion, which was steadily growing, didn't allow me to give in to this weakness. Anger. Anger so strong that it quickly began to overshadow and eventually push away the panic. I balled my fists and gritted my teeth.

"Jacob Black!" I snapped. "And whoever else is listening. I'm sick of your attitude! Do I have to spell it out for you? I. Am. Not. Dangerous. Until this morning, I didn't even know that something had changed in me, that I'm suddenly able to tear out trees and run so fast that I could keep up with you. I woke up and thought that it would be a perfectly normal day, until it was all turned upside down. But none of you know how it is, of course. To have your whole life changed within a second. You didn't need time to figure out what had happened, to find answers and most importantly of all to come to terms with those changes! No… you just took it all in a stride, didn't you?"

My voice was low and dangerous and dripping with sarcasm. But I didn't care. I knew that it had not been so. Their first transformation into werewolves had probably been just as mind-blowing and confusing as my conversation with Willow and Xander this morning. Only that the pack had obviously already forgotten about their first few days as werewolves. I hoped that I had triggered their memories with my little speech a little.

Still glaring at Jake, I stemmed my hands on my hipbones. I noticed that he flinched guiltily under my gaze. I forced myself to calm down a bit. I thought that now might be the time for another of the many compromises in my life and eventually said to Jake, "I promise that I _will_ tell you what has happened to me. I only need some time to figure a few things out first, okay? But I can only assure you again that I'm not a vampire and that I'm no danger for La Push or Forks. I won't kill or hurt anyone. But until then, the wolves have to keep this to themselves. Is this acceptable?"

Again I had to wait a moment, but this time it was a lot shorter. I looked at Jake expectantly and this time he nodded, much to my relief. I honestly had no idea what I would have done, if just in a few minutes Billy or other elders of the tribe had known about this.

"Thank you."

I smiled at Jake and he returned that smile with his wolfish grin, his tongue hanging out of one side of his mouth. I laughed, probably for the first time that morning, if I remembered correctly. A lot of tension was lifted from my shoulders and I was already able to breathe a bit easier. If only for a short time.

"Oh Jake… I really missed you… But… you never answered my question. Will you go back to La Push?" Much to my disappointment, Jake shook his gigantic head and I sighed. "But you'll be around, will you?" He looked at me for a longer moment, but eventually nodded. My smile widened. "Then I guess I'll see you around."

I had noticed that the sun was already standing again a lot lower in the sky than when I had left the house this morning, or was it midday? I hadn't looked at the clock, when I left, but I guess it must have been around midday. I really had spent a lot of time, probably both getting here and being here.

"I really should get home. And I don't even know how long it will take. You see, my truck broke when I stopped here and I guess I have to run home." If it was possible for a wolf to raise an eyebrow, Jake probably would have done it. I grinned at him sheepishly, waving goodbye – I really didn't know, if I'd be able to actually say goodbye to Jake again - and was just about to turn around to go, when I suddenly realized something really important. I didn't even know in which direction I had to go! I slapped my forehead and, with an embarrassed blush on my face, I looked at Jake. "Uhm… you don't know by any chance the way home, do you?"

The gigantic wolf snorted, shaking his head in disbelief and walked past me. I turned around to follow him with my eyes, not really knowing what to make out of my friend's behavior. When he had reached the edge of the clearing, he looked over his shoulder and barked, his long tail waggling.

"You want me to come with you?" I asked stupidly.

He nodded and then, I don't know if I imagined it or not, his eyes took on a challenging gleam, as if he wanted to say 'If you can keep up with me.'

"Okay," I agreed with a grin. My hands were already itching again with anticipation for the run. This time I would really try to test my limits. Having an opponent was just an added bonus. "But I'm not as slow as I used to be."

Jacob barked again, which I understood as 'We'll see' and then took off into the woods. I didn't hesitate long and ran after him. The tingle I had felt earlier in the back of my mind really seemed to belong to Jake and exactly this tingle told me, where he was. I just had to follow my instincts to find him and I finally saw him not that far away. He was obviously waiting for me, only about a hundred yards away from the meadow. My grin widened. Now he would see how fast I was.

I pushed my legs harder and ran past him, having just enough time to see the surprised look on his face and tapping him, while calling, "You're it!"

The chase was on.

I knew that Jake wasn't giving everything, as we were chasing through the woods, but I could see that he was testing me. He would always become a bit faster, looking back to see if I could keep up with him, and most of the time I could. However, I realized that it was a good thing to have Jake with me. He was leading me home, but kept avoiding trails and the road, so that we would not be seen. I wondered what it would look like – a girl being chased by a wolf? Or would people even be able to see us, as fast as we were moving.

But I had to admit, this, weaving through the trees, with someone else was much more fun than doing it alone. A pang of regret and guilt shot through me, as I thought this. It couldn't be changed now, but I wished that it was Edward running by my side and not Jacob. Running was Edward's second nature, so it would have only been fair, if my first real experience with this were with him.

Jacob seemed to have caught my sudden change of mood and suddenly overtook me again and howled challengingly. I allowed a small smile on my lips, as I yelled, "Don't worry, Jake! I'll get you!", and tore off after him.

The colors green and brown passed me in a blur, but no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't catch up to Jake anymore, who always kept only a few yards ahead of me. Until he suddenly stopped. I almost ran into him and had to dig the heels of my tennis shoes into the soft ground to avoid this. I flailed about a bit, but managed to keep my balance, which was definitely a first in a situation like this.

"What is it?" I asked, out of breath. Sweat was running down my face, but it didn't bother me. Actually, I was surprised after this long run that I wasn't more exhausted. But at this moment I recognized my surroundings. A few yards down the slope I saw the trail that led to my house. "Oh…"

Silence fell over us, as we looked at each other. I still didn't want to say goodbye to him, not knowing when or if I ever saw him again. For just a short moment, while we were running, I could imagine that it was still just Jake and me, best friends, having some fun. That none of those other things had ever occurred, that I never had had to choose between him and Edward. That I had never hurt him so much that he couldn't stand being near me anymore.

"Jake…" I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. He heard that of course and whined quietly, as he rubbed his head comfortingly at my shoulder. "I don't want to say goodbye," I admitted. "Please, promise me that you'll stay, that I'll see you again. After all, I still owe you and the pack an explanation. You should be there to hear it. At least… at least stay in the area, if you don't want to return to La Push. Promise this." I looked long and hard, almost pleadingly, into his eyes until he eventually nodded again. I sighed in relief and hugged him briefly around his wide neck. "Thank you… Well then… I'll see you around…"

I stepped away from Jake and, still feeling daring, jumped down onto the path. I landed in a light crouch and nothing had happened, I wasn't hurt. Grinning, I looked back up at Jake and waved, before I ran, slower this time, along the trail back to the house.

On the final mile on the way home, I was quickly becoming aware of several needs. First, I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since last night at the Cullens' and after all this exercise I must have burned quite a few calories. And the second was that I desperately needed another shower. Even though I had not noticed it, I must have brushed plants and branches. My pants and shirt were streaked with dirt and I was pretty sweaty.

And then, as I was almost to the house, one more thing shot through my mind. I still needed to think of something to tell Charlie. He would think of the worst, if he saw me like this. But my mind was blank; I couldn't think of a lie that would get past Forks' police chief. Maybe, if he were watching a game on TV, I might be able to get into the house and upstairs undetected. Or maybe… My eyes widened at this unlikely and yet, maybe not completely impossible thought. The window to my room was left wide open. Maybe I could somehow get in through the window unseen, change into clean clothes, get rid off the tangles in my hair, climb out of the window again and then enter through the door. I could tell Charlie that my truck broke down and that I caught a ride back with one of the boys from La Push. That might actually work.

I was still pondering this plan, when the house came into view, and much to my surprise and relief, Charlie's cruiser was still gone. The sun had again sunken lower towards the horizon. It wasn't long until twilight.

My heart clenched at the thought, the longing for Edward intensified only by thinking about his favorite time of the day. However, also the uncertainty about what our future would hold for us, now that I was…

"No!" I said forcefully to myself. I wouldn't think about this. Not yet. First, I needed something to eat and then a shower. Charlie would probably come home soon, too, and I had to wait until I had dealt with him. At least I didn't have to prove me skills as burglar anymore.

I stepped out of the woods and crossed the driveway, which looked oddly empty without my truck, careful that no one would see me in my current state. In Forks, news traveled fast, and I had to avoid that. Once I had unlocked the door, I quickly slipped inside and breathed a quiet sigh of relief, when I closed the door again behind me. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw the red light of our answering machine blinking. Curious, I pressed the 'Play' button and was surprised to hear Charlie's voice.

"Hey Bells," the static-laden voice said. "It's me… I just wanted to tell you that I won't be back until late tonight. We're having a barbecue at La Push and a bonfire later tonight. Don't stay up to wait for me. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow… Bye."

Again, a relieved sigh escaped my lips. This gave me a few more hours to think about a story I could tell Charlie, both concerning my truck and how I got home, now that I couldn't use the excuse anymore that one of the boys from La Push had picked me up. If the story were true, Charlie would have most certainly heard about this.

Another positive result of this development was that I didn't have to change into clean clothes now, but could do that later, after the shower. Satisfying my grumbling stomach was still my first priority. I really didn't think that I had ever been this hungry before. But I also hadn't been running so much before.

I quickly put the chicken curry leftovers from the day before into the microwave and waited impatiently for the usually annoying beeping noise that announced when the meal was hot. As soon as it reached my ears, I pulled the door of the microwave open and began to eat before I was even sitting down. It couldn't have been five minutes, but the plate was already empty. I still wasn't full, but it was enough for now. I could still fix some more later, after the shower. Which was long overdue, I realized as I sniffed the air.

After having put the plate, knife and fork into the sink, vowing to myself that I would do the dishes later, I walked up the stairs and directly into the bathroom. I grimaced, as I stopped in front of the mirror. The run through the woods had definitely left its marks on me. Grime and leaves everywhere, on my clothes, in my hair. I pulled the rubber band out of the hair and tried to pull the brush through my tangles locks. It took a few minutes, but eventually I thought that I had gotten all knots and leaves out of my hair.

Once all my clothes were in the laundry hamper, I stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water. I reached for the shampoo and washed my hair. As soon as I was sure that my hair was clean of twigs and also of shampoo, I turned the water even hotter and let it rain down me. It hit all the slightly sore spot and slowly I felt that I began to relax. I hadn't even realized how tightly wound I still was, how tense my muscle still were, as if ready to burst. But slowly but surely, this tension fell away.

However, without this tension, I quickly realized that I was vulnerable. My mind began to wander. I know I shouldn't have allowed this to happen, but I had been repressing too many things for too long today and it was only inevitable that they would get out, when I was relaxed. My hands began to shake, as too many emotions were warring in me at once and too many thoughts ran through my mind.

I tried to keep my feelings and thoughts under control, tried to regain my bearings, but when Edward's face suddenly flashed in front of my mind's eye, all the worries and fears I had concerning him, the Cullens and what my new _destiny_ might mean to them simply overwhelmed me.

The dam broke.

Painful sobs erupted in my chest and tears began to stream down my face, mixing with the hot water from the shower.

But in addition to the worries and the fears, another emotion, just as strong as the other two, welled up within me. Anger. Pure anger at the unfairness of this all. My life had finally been good, I had a future I was looking forward to, a new family that was welcoming with open arms. But what now? Was this future still possible? Was I now forced to give up my future with Edward as well? As Vampire Slayer, a chosen warrior to fight against vampires, could I still become the wife of a vampire, or, even more importantly, a vampire myself? It seemed so unlikely. In front of my mind's eye, I saw myself as a vampire at Edward's side fade. In her place I now saw my human self, but something was different. I was crouching, like an animal, and Edward was facing me, also in a crouch.

Enemies, not lovers.

_Why?_

I felt like screaming this, but instead my right fist lashed out and buried itself in the wall of the shower. Tiles splintered under this strength and concrete rained down to the ground. My knuckles stung, but I didn't mind. It felt good to release some of the frustration. I pulled the right fist back and then embedded the left one directly next to the hole, where my other fist had just been merely seconds ago.

Sobs were still wrecking my body and as I freed the left hand, I wrapped my arms tightly around me and slid to the ground. Water was still pouring down on me, washing the dust and remains of the tiles down the drain. I buried my face in my knees and just let it all out. All the pain, the frustration, all the fears.

Again time passed without my really noticing it. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours – the only evidence that time had passed was that the water had turned cold - when I suddenly felt something tug at the back of my mind. Another tingle, but different from Jake's. I knew this one, I had already felt it, even though it had only been subconsciously all these times. But it couldn't be. My mind must be playing tricks on me.

But then I heard it. The voice. My name. And only a split second later, the door to the bathroom was wrenched open. I raised my head just in time as Edward's gaze landed on me. My eyes met his and suddenly I was very aware that I was still in the shower, stark naked. I felt the blush in my cheeks and lowered my gaze again, wrapping my arms tighter around me. It was silly, I know, especially as we were going to be married in just a few weeks, but I had somehow envisioned Edward seeing me naked for the first time quite differently.

He was by my side in a second, apparently not at all bothered by my nakedness. I watched him from under my lashes, as he stared in shock at the holes in the wall and then again at me. "Bella…" he whispered and carefully reached out for me. However, he stopped only an inch before he touched me, his face full of concern and wariness. I realized that there were still tears streaming down my face and I quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand.

At the same moment, I felt a small breeze and the water was turned off. I raised my head again, but Edward was still crouched next to me, only that he was holding something blue and fluffy in his hands. One of the huge bathing towels that Alice had insisted I just had to have not so long ago.

"Bella…" he said again. "Come here… You're getting cold."

I simply nodded and rose slowly. My legs were protesting slightly, proving that I had been sitting in this cramped position for too long. I had just straightened up completely, when the towel was already wrapped completely around me and I was in Edward's arms, as he was carrying me towards my bedroom. He gently lowered me on my bed, sitting down next to me. None of us said anything and I hadn't even realized that I was once again shaking with sobs, until Edward gently pulled me against his chest.

He simply held me, murmuring comforting words and waited patiently until this crying fit subsided. This situation reminded me too much of what had happened after I had given up my future with Jacob. It was only ironic that this situation should repeat itself, when it was suddenly so unclear if I still had a future with Edward.

Once I had calmed down enough, only sniffing now and then, tears now simply running silently, I felt how Edward gently pushed me a few inches away so that he could look at my face. I had to fight the urge to avoid his intense topaz eyes that were gazing worriedly down at me. "Bella… What happened?" he asked eventually, in his quiet velvet voice. "Alice just called me to tell me that I had to return home at once, that you were upset. But she didn't say more."

"Oh Edward…" How could I possibly tell him? Would he believe me? I thought it better to start with a simpler explanation. "I just had a really bad day."

Edward shook his head softly. "You wouldn't be this upset about a bad day, Bella… Tell me… Oh, how I wish I could see what's going on in your mind." He carefully wiped a strand of damp hair away and tugged it behind my ear. His fingers rested against my cheeks and I had to resist the urge to lean into his hand.

"I…" I hesitated. How should I begin? How much should I edit? Edward would see at once, when I was lying. So I had to stick to the truth as much as possible until I could somehow prove to him what had happened to me. "This morning, I got some visitors… from a school for gifted girls. They… they wanted to offer me a place at their school. I declined, of course… And then… I went out for a drive and… and I killed my truck." My chest constricted painfully. I hadn't even had time to grieve for my poor trusty old truck, which I had murdered so gruesomely. "And then I saw Jake…"

"I see…" Edward mumbled thoughtfully. He probably thought that Jake was the reason why I was so upset. If he only knew that Jake was only the tip of the iceberg. "And what did you do to that shower?"

"It's complicated," I sighed and lowered my eyes.

I had calmed down a lot since I had started talking, even though this subject was so touchy. But I was now calm enough to think rationally again. I had vented my frustration and shed all the tears I was ready to shed for now. I knew that I had to think about a lot of things, however, one thing was much more important than anything else. The question, if the Cullens should know about me, or not.

I looked up at Edward again and saw the expectant and still incredibly concerned look on his face. His forehead was creased and his eyes so full of emotion that it nearly took my breath away. How would he react, if I told him? Would he turn away from me, disgusted?

Out of the corners of my eyes I spotted my engagement ring on the nightstand and suddenly felt incredibly stupid. For some unfathomable reasons, this beautiful man, vampire, in front of me was so in love with me that he would do everything for me, just to make me happy. Even change me into a vampire, although he thought that he would damn me to an eternity of hell. He had already left me once, and we both had suffered for it. None of us would make this mistake again. He wouldn't leave me, not because of this. We would overcome this obstacle, just like we had overcome everything else.

Yes, I was now sure of one thing. Edward and the rest of the Cullens had to know. I couldn't keep this from them. The only question was, how should I tell them? It would be hard to believe, if they didn't see, what I was able to, how strong and fast I suddenly was. It would be a lot better, if I could show them somehow.

And then, suddenly, I knew how. It was crazy, absolutely reckless, but brilliant. If they didn't believe me after this, I really didn't know, how to convince them. A small smile spread over my face, as my plan took shape in my mind. This was going to be my greatest challenge, yet.

Edward stared at me, surprised, when I suddenly looked at him, my eyes probably sparkling with excitement and mischief. Such a sudden change to my mood of just a few minutes ago. It was only natural that he was even more worried now than before. Even I couldn't explain. Maybe it was in the Vampire Slayer's nature to look forward to challenges. "Edward," I said seriously, trying to keep a smirk from my face. "I don't think _telling_ you about what I did to the shower and why I was and still am kind of upset is enough. You need to see it. And not just you alone. It's better if your whole family is there as well. Are they home already?"

Just at that moment, Edward's cell phone began to ring. He hesitated for a moment before taking it out of the pocket of his jeans. I could see Alice's name on the display and motioned for Edward to answer it. He looked at me, uncertain, but when I nodded again, he flipped the phone open and raised it to his ear. It took just two seconds before he snapped it shut again and he hadn't even said anything to answer Alice.

"They're home, all of them," he told me seriously, while eyeing me a bit suspiciously. "And she said, no, ordered to bring you over at once."

I simply nodded and was just about to rise from the bed, when Edward was suddenly at the door, his back turned towards me. I looked down at myself and realized with a blush that I was still just wearing the towel. "Oops," I muttered with a sheepish grin and pulled the towel tighter around my body.

"I'll wait for you downstairs," Edward just told me, but he smirked and winked at me, as he looked over his shoulder before he disappeared. My blush only deepened and I felt my knees go weak, even though he was gone and the door closed again.

Shaking my head to get rid off the stupor, I quickly walked over to my closet. There were now more important things to do, I told myself, as I grabbed some underwear and a pair of jeans and a sweater which Alice would most likely tear apart, if she ever got her hands on them. After having run the brush through my hair and pulling the damp hair into a loose bun at the nape of my neck, I gave myself a once over in the mirror and nodded satisfied. Nothing from the crying jag was visible on my face and I was ready to go to the Cullens' house.

I grabbed my purse and a jacket and went downstairs, where I found Edward leaning against the kitchen table. Unsurprisingly the dishes were done and I should have expected the piece of paper that was lying on the table.

"I wrote a note for Charlie," Edward said, as he came up to me and gently wrapped his arms around me from behind. "As you can see I wrote that you had a small accident in the shower, but that you were unhurt. And also that he shouldn't worry about the shower and that we would take care of it."

"I can see that," I answered chuckling, as I picked up the note and examined it. I wondered, when exactly Edward had learned to write with my handwriting. It looked wrong somehow in my opinion – someone who had such a beautiful handwriting as Edward had shouldn't have to write as awfully as I did. But I was glad that he had explained the shower-incident… somewhat. I'm sure Esme would be thrilled to decorate our bathroom new. "Planning to enter business as a forger?"

"Maybe…" I could hear the grin in his voice and turned around in his arms, softly pressing my lips against his. He carefully pushed me away, even though I could see in his eyes that I could have gone a bit further. "Alice and the others are waiting," he informed me regretfully and reminded me therewith of what I had to do.

I nodded and took his hand. "Okay… let's go." _Let's get this over with_, I added in my mind, more determined that ever, once again glad that Edward couldn't read my thoughts.

The ride in the Volvo to the Cullens' house was spent mostly in silence, even though Edward never removed his hand from mine. I knew that he was watching me, as I was nervously biting on my lower lip, and I tried to give him a reassuring smile. I must have failed, because he suddenly squeezed my hand and smiled at me. His eyes were still showing his worry, though. It must kill him that I didn't tell him what was bothering me, but in just a few minutes, his wait would be over.

As he pulled into the long and winding road that led to their house, my nervousness seemed to grow even more. What if everything went wrong? I wasn't worried about hurting myself, more about the reactions of the others. So I was glad to see Alice standing on the porch, as Edward stopped the Volvo in front of the house. Just as usual, he was by my side of the car and held it open, before I even noticed it, though this time it was most likely due to my thoughtfulness that I didn't see him do this.

Edward rested his hand on the small of my back, as we walked up to the door. I noticed how Edward frowned at Alice and could only guess that she was again reciting something in her mind to keep Edward from seeing what she had seen. But I had to know, only to allay my worries and fears.

"Hey Bella," she greeted me, her voice cheerful, but her eyes confused, as if she couldn't understand what she had seen.

"Hello Alice," I replied with a small smile and then, without further ado, asked, "You've seen what I've planned, didn't you?"

"Yes…" Her answer was wary.

"Please, tell me… Will it work?"

"Yes…"

This time her voice sounded completely disbelieving and I sighed in relief. "Good…" I whispered. "Is everyone here?"

"They're waiting in the living room," Edward informed me. And indeed, now that I concentrated on it, I could feel several tingles in the back of my mind, even though I couldn't pinpoint yet, which tingle belonged to which vampire. "And they're all… anxious to hear what you want to tell us."

"Show you," I corrected, as we were already on our way to the living room. "Not tell you… You wouldn't believe it, if I told you."

Edward and my tingles hadn't been wrong. The rest of the Cullens were waiting for us in the living room. "Bella," Carlisle greeted me warmly, as he stood up from the couch. "Please come in and sit down…"

"Hello Carlisle, everyone," I greeted them, trying to smile again. But it was hard, seeing as my nervousness had almost reached its peak. "But I'd rather not sit down. Actually… I… I'm here to…"

I swallowed and looked around until my eyes landed on the one person whose help I needed right now. I looked directly at him, as I said with a strong and confident voice,

"Emmett, I want to challenge you to an arm-wrestling match."


	4. Show and Tell

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! **

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Show and Tell

My new family's reaction was almost instantaneous, except for Alice's, who didn't react at all. After all, she had already known what I had wanted to ask. But the others hadn't and they were accordingly vocal about their opinions about that matter. I had already expected it, however, and so I simply let them talk. They wouldn't convince me otherwise. Not Rosalie with her scoffing, Jasper with his suspiciousness, Carlisle with his reasoning or Esme with her concerns. I blocked them all out, shaking my head apologetically, hoping they would get my message. I was going to do it and no one could change it. Actually the only person who seemed to want to encourage me was Emmett, as he was grinning at me with anticipation shining in his golden eyes.

Still, it was Edward's reaction that I had feared and it was him, who managed to drown out everyone else with a quiet but very firm and very angry, "No." When I turned to him, I saw his eyes darken with fury. I held his stormy gaze and noticed out of the corner of my eyes how he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Edward," I said calmly, hesitantly reaching out to him. I wasn't sure, if I should touch him, when he was so angry, but at last I gently let my fingers trail down his arm. "Trust me."

"No," he repeated through gritted teeth, as he took a step back. I let my arm fall to my side, feeling a bit hurt by his rejection. "This is insane, Bella. Think about it for a moment. Have you completely forgotten _everything_ you've seen and what I've told you about our strength? And Emmett of all people! He's able to squash you with his small finger."

"I haven't forgotten," I told him, slowly losing my calm. "But things have changed Edward, and if you'd just let me show—"

"No!" he snarled again, this time turning away from me. I could see that his shoulders were shaking with suppressed anger and tension. The whole living room was completely silent – everyone was simply shocked – except for the sound of the few deep breaths Edward took before he finally faced me again. "I can't believe that you're that eager to be hurt and worse even, killed! Didn't you have enough danger for a lifetime by now? Or is that your plan? Do you think that, when Emmett hurts you so much that no doctor can help you anymore, you will get your wish before I get mine? Is it—"

_Slap!_

Edward's head whipped to the side by the unexpected blow. My right palm stung slightly but it was nothing that wouldn't be gone in a few moments. The pain was already beginning to fade. "Don't you dare!" I hissed dangerously, my temper having finally gotten the best of me. All day I had been on an emotional rollercoaster, going from shock over deliriously happy and furious to deeply depressed and scared, and I had managed to keep my temper and my feelings in check most of the time (except for the tiny incident in the shower). But this accusation had been the last straw.

I felt the tears well up in my eyes, but I blinked them away again. Slowly, Edward turned his head back, facing me again. Most of the anger was gone from his eyes, replaced by confusion. Absentmindedly he lifted his left hand to let his fingers touch his cheek. Did I actually manage to inflict pain? I didn't waste much thought on this, however, as he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could utter a sound, I whispered,

"Do you really think so low of me? Do you really think I would deny you the one thing you wish the most? You of all people should know that no matter how much I whine and moan, I would do everything for you, that I will give up everything for you. So… please just trust me, trust that I'll do the right thing and that I won't be hurt… but if you can't trust me about this, please trust Alice at least." I allowed a small grin on my face, hoping to lighten up the situation a bit. "You said yourself that no one should ever bet against Alice and she knows that it'll be okay."

Edward didn't say anything for a long moment, just looking at me, staring into my eyes. I didn't avoid his gaze, even though I almost felt naked by the intensity, and finally he nodded. I closed my eyes briefly and let out a quiet sigh of relief. However, in that short moment when my eyes were closed, I suddenly found myself trapped in Edward's strong embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear, his voice betraying the guilt he was feeling. "I overreacted and I shouldn't have said those things. I wish I could take them back. I didn't mean any of them. It's just… I just can't stand it to see you in any kind of danger. I fear that I might lose you. Losing you would destroy me. I just love you too much."

"I know. You don't need to apologize," I replied softly. I opened my eyes again and looked up. His eyes were no longer dark, but the warm butterscotch color I was used to and I smiled. I stood on my tiptoes, my right hand finding his left hand, and pressed a gentle and short kiss on his lips. "I love you, too."

Someone cleared his throat and I was suddenly again aware of the six pairs of eyes resting on us. My face began to feel hot and I just knew that it was completely red. During my argument with Edward I had completely forgotten that his whole family had been watching. Still, my utter and complete mortification couldn't last long, as Emmett brought me back to reality and the reason why I was even here. "So, what is it, little human girl? Are you ready for that arm-wrestling match or are you scared of the big bad vampire?"

Taking one last deep breath, I hoped that the color on my face had by now returned to normal, as I turned around and smirked at him. "Scared? You wish." Alice was winking at me with a grin on her face, which I returned. Somehow, now that it was getting serious, I felt my nervousness rise. "Uhm… where do you usually do this? The dining room table?"

A booming laugh erupted from Emmett's throat and even Edward chuckled behind me. I relaxed slightly, as did everyone else, as I had managed to break the ice with my unintentional and apparently stupid question. "Bella," Alice quickly interjected with a grin. "I think Esme is fairly fond of that table. It's an antique."

"Thanks," Esme mouthed at her.

Emmett was still grinning widely. "You know what, Bella? I know just the place. Right this way."

I was still holding onto Edward's hand, as we both followed him outside with the rest of the family trailing right behind us. None of them wanted to miss this. Or they were all just too worried that something might go wrong. It was completely dark outside by now and I was surprised at how good my eyesight had become, as I could see almost every detail of the garden in this darkness. Strangely enough, now that I knew that I was different, I began to notice more and more little and not so little things that had changed. Suddenly, the lamp hanging at the wall of the back porch flickered to life and the light now flooding the garden illuminated the way, as we were walking towards the garage. There I could see a largish granite boulder standing up out of a tumble of rocks near the river. This was obviously our destination. Even though the rock was a little rounded and irregular, it would do the job.

When Emmett finally stopped next to the boulder and put his elbow on the rock, I felt Edward's hand tighten around mine slightly. I looked up at him and gave him a smile to appease his worries, before I let go off his hand and came to a halt directly across from Emmett. One more deep breath and I, too, put my elbow on the rock, clasping Emmett's huge hand. I bit my lower lip, as I saw my small hand nearly disappear in his grasp and for a moment wondered, how crazy I actually was to even do this. But then I remembered what I had already done and what I should be able to do, and smiled at Emmett.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay, one last chance to back out, little sis."

His grip tightened. "Never," I hissed fiercely, but still with a slight grin on my face. Without even removing my eyes from Emmett, I asked, "Carlisle, would you do the honors?"

Carlisle nodded seriously. "Alright, on the count of three."

"One…"

I chanced a glance back at Edward to reassure him one last time. He looked so worried, so helpless, and I couldn't help but remember when he once told me that I would only be stronger than Emmett as long as I was still a newborn. I was sure that it was taking all of his power and maybe a bit of Jasper's calming influence to keep him from interfering, to keep him from grabbing me and getting me out of here.

"Two."

I looked back at Emmett, who was still grinning at me. My grin was gone by now, as I concentrated fully on what was about to happened. Still, his grin was infuriating and somehow getting angry helped me to grasp the new power in my body. I was ready to use it. And if just to wipe this grin from Emmett's face.

In the quiet surrounding us I noticed that every vampire hat stopped breathing.

"Three."

As soon as Carlisle spoke the last number, my muscles tensed and I gritted my teeth. Emmett never saw it coming. He wasn't taking me seriously and that was his downfall. It was obvious that he wasn't using all of his strength, probably just enough so that a still completely human Bella would have never even been able to move his arm just an inch, but he hadn't expected the Slayer. So, using all of my strength, I shoved his arm down with one swift motion. His hand smashed into the rock and a part broke off at an invisible fault line, falling to the ground with a loud crash.

The silence around us was deafening, but I couldn't suppress the victorious grin on my face. I did it! I beat Emmett in an arm-wrestling match and I wasn't even a newborn yet! It didn't matter that Emmett hadn't used all of his strength, because normal human Bella would have never been able to move the arm at all. Resisting the urge to jump up and down like a child, I turned around to face Edward. His face was, if possible, even paler than usual and his lips pressed to a thin white line. "See?" I told him smiling. "I'm fine!"

The grin on my face grew even wider, because for the first time in my life, Edward Cullen appeared to be speechless. "Bella? How? This… How?" he stuttered, as he ran a hand through his hair.

"That's a very good question, Bella," Carlisle said. He and the others, especially Emmett, who still seemed to be in some kind of shock – could vampires even go into shock? – all looked at me expectantly. "I do hope that you have an explanation for this, because, to be completely honest with you, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed this. And I think the others share my sentiments."

"I know… I didn't believe this either until I had proof. And I do, have an explanation I mean," I told them, all of them. "But I think we'd better go inside. This… might take a bit longer to explain."

The others nodded and began to retreat to the house. However, I hesitated. The 'fun' part was over; now it was time to get serious and face the music. My stomach clenched painfully. My new family knew now partly what I was capable of, but not why. And I was horrified of their reactions, when they found out, which would be in just a few minutes.

Before she and Jasper left, Alice regarded me with a quizzical look on her face, before her eyes first went blank and then widened. Upon seeing this, I immediately knew that she had just seen what I wanted to tell them and my hands began to tremble. "Incredible," she just mumbled, clearly amazed by what she had seen in her vision, before she took Jasper's hand and pulled him back to the house.

"Alice, why are you translating Japanese pop songs into Arabian now?" Edward called after her, but he didn't get an answer. He sighed and took my hand again. A frown appeared on his face, as his other hand tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Bella, are you sure you're fine? Emmett really hasn't hurt you?"

"I'm…" I wanted so confirm that I was fine, but that would be a lie. I was very far from fine. "I'm unhurt. I'm… I'm just nervous and… scared. This… what I'm going to tell you… You won't like it. And… I'm not sure, if I'll be welcomed in this family, when you know."

"Bella," his soft voice comforted me, as he hugged me gently. "I admit… it's hard to believe what you've just done… I'm shocked and I can't even imagine what has brought on this incredible change in you, making you so strong. But, no matter what happens, don't you ever be afraid of losing us. We are your family and you will always be welcomed. Never forget that. If Carlisle welcomed me back after my rebellious years, he won't turn away from you just because you've gotten a lot stronger over night."

Even if I'm born to be your enemy? I wanted to ask him, but kept my mouth shut. Instead, I simply nodded and said, "Let's not let them wait any longer."

"Alright…"

He pressed his cool lips against my forehead and together we followed the others to the house, hand in hand. The rest of the Cullens were already in the living room, waiting for us; one couch was empty, obviously for Edward and me, because Carlisle and Esme were sitting across from us, with Alice and Jasper standing behind them, while Emmett and Rosalie were close to the windows. I smiled apologetically at Emmett, but he simply grinned back and gave me the thumbs up. Now that he seemed to have regained his composure, he didn't seem to care why I was so strong; he just thought that it was cool that I was, which already was a big relief.

With Edward taking the lead, we went over to the free couch, were Edward pulled me down next to him. He was still holding onto my hand, which had two effects – one, it was keeping me somewhat calm and second, it kept from fidgeting even more than I already did. I tried to meet Carlisle's gaze, but couldn't hold it for long. I simply didn't know where to start.

Finally, after long tense minutes, and a careful squeeze of Edward's hand, I took one last deep breath and asked, "Has one of you ever heard of the term _Vampire Slayer_?"

I met many blank looks. Actually, only Carlisle's face showed recognition of the term, as did Jasper's, and, of course, when they recognized it and thought about it, Edward knew about it as well.

"No," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I won't accept that. This can't be true."

"It's just a myth, Edward," Carlisle told him. "At least I always thought so."

"What is it, Carlisle, Jasper?" Esme asked worried. "Edward? Bella? What is this… Vampire Slayer? It can't be what I think it is, can it?"

"It is…" I admitted quietly, lowering my gaze. I paused for a few seconds, before reciting one of the things that had been burned into my memory that morning. "In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. Or, at least that's what I was told this morning."

"That's almost exactly what Aro told me many years ago," Carlisle mumbled thoughtfully. He regarded me with something akin to awe in his eyes, but also pity and compassion. Clearing his throat, he explained, not just for me, but also for the others, "One night, while I was staying in Volterra, Aro and I talked about the enemies of the vampires, among others the werewolves, but he also mentioned the Slayer. He said that he had heard rumors about a girl that was destined to kill vampires, but that he didn't believe in them. He couldn't fathom how one lonely girl could possibly have a chance against one of us. I always thought the same, but Bella, you showed us otherwise."

"But Emmett didn't even use his full strength," Edward quickly interjected. I could see that he was clinging to every straw that might prove that I'm not the Vampire Slayer. "He promised me that he wouldn't." Edward said this with a pointed glare at his brother, who held up his hands, as if saying 'I didn't do it'.

"That's right, he held back." Suddenly, Alice was by my side, squeezing herself on the couch next to me. "Directly after the match, Emmett considered a rematch, where he wouldn't hold back, but he quickly dismissed it. But I saw what would happen. Emmett would win, of course, and Bella would have to go to the ER with a broken arm, collar bone and dislocated shoulder, along with some torn muscles. Still, this doesn't mean that Bella isn't suddenly supernaturally strong, because she is, as you have all seen." She took my other hand and looked directly at me. "Bella, I've already seen everything you were thinking about telling us," she said softly, her voice tinkling even though it was quiet. "But I think it's best if you start at the beginning, so that the others will understand as well. Don't be scared, Bella… You know we love you. So can you please tell us all what's happened this morning and who told you this?"

I felt everyone's eyes on me, as I averted my gaze again and stared down at my fingers. It should have reassured me that Alice already knew and was still accepting me. But Alice was no fighter, she might not see the real danger I might pose to them. The others, however, would, most of all Jasper. He might see me as a threat.

"Bella…" Edward's velvet voice tore me out of my depressing thoughts. I raised my head and met his still worried eyes. He didn't say more, but his look told me all. He couldn't take the suspense anymore and was pleading with me to tell him and the others everything. And as usual, I couldn't deny him, when he was looking at me like this.

And so, still only looking at Edward, drawing strength from him, I began to tell my story.

"This morning, I had two visitors. They told me their names are Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris and they made Charlie believe that they were going to talk to me about college. However, once Charlie was gone, they admitted that it was just part of the truth. While they were coming from a school, a school for gifted girls, they also had something else to tell me. They told me… that I was a Vampire Slayer."

With those words spoken, the rest just seemed to flow out of me. I couldn't stop them anymore, as I got everything off my chest, starting with the shocking news this morning and stopping with my decision that my new family deserved to know the truth and that they could only believe me, if I showed them, hence my stunt with Emmett. The whole time, everyone listened patiently and raptly, though now and then I saw out of the corner of my eyes one of the Cullens shake their head in disbelief.

I didn't leave anything out, not the test with the ball, what the two strangers had told me about Sunnydale and the magic that had changed all the girls with the potential into Slayers, nor my afternoon in the meadow with Jake and what I did to the bathroom afterwards. Surprisingly enough, my breath hitched, when I told them that I had killed my truck.

Sometime during the tale, I noticed Edward's arms around me, as he pulled me against his chest, and Alice's hand gently rubbing my back. I hadn't realized until then that I was crying, but I still didn't stop talking. With my cheek resting against Edward's chest, I eventually finished my story.

The whole room was silent for a seemingly infinitely long moment. My body felt limp and I was so exhausted. My eyes began to droop, but I forced them to stay open. I felt as if I could sleep for a week, but at the same time, I felt incredibly lighter. They finally knew and the only thing I could do now was wait for their judgment.

Tears were still silently running down my cheeks, as I waited. I didn't look up, instead concentrating on the pale and flawless skin of Edward's strong arm that was holding me tightly. His chest rose and fell steadily, which, in addition to the soft rubs on my back, was soothing. For a few seconds, I allowed my eyes to close and I must have been really close to sleep, because I was suddenly startled awake by Rosalie's outraged outcry.

"How cruel!" she snarled, as she quickly moved from her spot at the window and knelt down in front of me. Rosalie carefully took my left hand into her own and entangled her fingers with mine. Her gaze was stormy, furious, but I could tell that she wasn't angry at me. No, I realized in my foggy mind, she was angry on my behalf. "Oh Bella… The nerve of them… You and all those other girls! Their lives destroyed! Whoever's responsible for this…"

"Rose," Carlisle admonished her quietly but strictly. She turned to him sharply, but he just shook his head. "I understand your feelings, but we have to approach this subject with reason, not with anger, no matter how justified it is."

"Carlisle is right," Esme agreed, her voice gentle; her eyes, however, showed the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cubs. She was looking directly at me, nearly right through me into my soul, as she appealed, "This, however, doesn't change anything about your place in this family, Bella. You are still one of us, a Cullen in all but name. But as we all know, this will change soon," Esme added with a smile.

I returned her smile, relief spreading through my whole body. They weren't pushing me away. "Thank you…"

"Stupid Bella," Edward mumbled into my hair. "Did you honestly think we would turn away from you? This is just another obstacle, but we will break through it, just as we always do."

Carlisle nodded, as he offered me a comforting smile. "That we will, all of us, together. But before we discuss what should be done now after this most shocking revelation, I believe you should get some sleep, Bella. You've had a really trying day and you need some rest. And tomorrow, we will sort this out."

"Yes, Bella…" Esme agreed, her loving smile warming me. "Thank you, for sharing this with us. We know it must have been really hard for you. You must have been so scared. But now, sleep and rest, and believe me, tomorrow, you will already feel a lot better than today."

"Thank you," I could only mumble again, overwhelmed by Carlisle's compassion and Esme's love. Once again I really saw that those abilities were their greatest gift. As a matter of fact, every single member of the family was looking at me with encouragement and sympathy, even Jasper, whose reaction was one I had feared so much, but who I believed even helped a bit to make me feel a bit more comfortable now, and Rosalie, who had surprised me the most with her sudden outburst.

My tears were slowing, but those that were still falling were of gratitude for the great family I happened to be a part of. For the first time since this morning, when my life had been turned upside down yet again, I managed to relax completely – if it was Jasper's doing or not, I didn't care. Slowly but surely, my eyes began close again, and suddenly I felt that I was no longer sitting on the sofa. I opened my eyes a little bit. We were on the stairs, going upstairs, and I snuggled deeper into Edward's embrace, as he carried me to his room, where he placed me carefully feet first on the floor. I swayed at first, but he held me.

"Do you need a human minute?"

Sleepy as I was, I could only nod. Was it just last night that I had been just as sleepy? It seemed as if it were a lifetime ago.

I quickly went into his bathroom, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and got dressed into the pajamas he kept especially for me in the bathroom. After I had taken care of other necessities, I returned to the bedroom. I was still so incredibly tired and worn out, but not as much as before. Some cold water I had splashed in my face had taken care of that. I needed to be awake for just a short moment longer, before I could give in to sleep.

In his bedroom, Edward was welcoming me as soon as I stepped over the threshold. He was already dressed in a pair of black designer sweats and a white T-shirt. Apparently he wanted me to feel as comfortable as possible tonight, so he wouldn't lie down next to me in jeans. "Let's go to bed," he whispered, gently letting his fingers trail down my cheeks. Just as usual, my heart began to beat faster and my knees went week. Edward used this chance, of course, and swept me off my feet, to lay me very carefully down on the enormous bed on the fluffy pillow, and at last covered me with the soft blanket. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes," I answered, as he lay down next to me. We were facing each other and I was biting my lower lip.

"What is wrong?" he asked, worried at once. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"It's just… It's stupid… but…" I shook my head, smiling wryly. "My truck's still at the trail to the meadow. I'm worried that something might happen to it."

A low chuckle rumbled in Edward's chest and he pulled me closer. "Consider it taken care of. Rose and Emmett will get it. Is there anything else?"

I hesitated for a moment, before I eventually said, "Yes… In the jeans… the ones I left in out bathroom. There's the card Mr. Harris has given me. I have a feeling that we might need it tomorrow."

Edward was quiet for a moment, as he was listening to his family downstairs, before he gave me a comforting smile. "Alice and Esme will go to Charlie's house. They will use this chance to take a look at the damage in the shower. Don't worry, Charlie won't even notice that they're there. And now, sweet Bella, sleep."

I wanted to protest, but found that I couldn't, because as soon as Edward began humming my lullaby, sleep claimed me.

Much to my surprise, I didn't dream that night.

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Disclaimer: I borrowed some of the lines in this chapter from Stephenie Meyer's novel "Breaking Dawn", so I don't own them.


	5. Guardian

**PS: I wish all of you a belated Merry Christmas and I also want to wish you a happy new year 2009! May all your wishes and dreams come true!**

**Thanks a lot, of course, for your nice reviews! And as an apology for this long wait, you'll get an extra long chapter. **

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**Guardian**

My eyes felt heavy, almost as if glued shut, as I tried to open them, and I felt incredibly groggy. I could see the sunlight dance behind my eyelids, feels its warmth on my face, and involuntarily a smile spread over my face. It was a really rare occurrence to wake up with the sun shining down at you here in Forks, but what was even better was the cool presence behind me, which usually wouldn't be there on this occasion. The smile on my face widened, as I felt cool lips being pressed against my shoulder.

I turned around without even opening my eyes and buried my face in his chest. "Good morning," I mumbled, still sleepily. For a split second I wondered, why I was so tired, but then decided that I shouldn't think about it. It was probably just Alice with her wedding plans – again. Just a few more weeks, I told myself, and then everything would be over. If all went according to plan, I wouldn't even have to worry about being so tired ever again.

"Good morning," Edward replied a short moment later, but something in his voice caught my attention. It sounded different – careful, worried, even a bit wary. Finally opening my eyes, I raised my head and my eyes met his. And just as I had feared, his gaze showed the worry I had already heard in his voice.

I was fully awake immediately after noticing this and sat up. The blanket fell down onto my lap and a strap from my pajama top and slid down my shoulder. "Edward?" I asked him, my own voice now just as worried as his eyes. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Our family… are they…?"

"Hush," he whispered, as he put a finger on my lips, effectively shutting me up. A shiver went down my spine and I had to resist closing my eyes at his touch. "They are okay… Don't you… don't you remember?"

"Remember?" I felt something nag at the back of my mind, and I had the weird feeling that I had forgotten something important.

Edward slowly reached forward and tugged a strand of hair behind my ear. His left hand then trailed down my cheek, fell to my shoulder and then travelled further down my arm, until he reached my right hand. My breath hitched in my throat, as he touched me. My eyes followed his fingers, as he carefully took my hand and turned it around in his own, staring at it in wonder. "How could such a fragile little thing…"

"Edward!" My patience was waning and I was getting more confused with each second that passed.

He looked up from my hand at once upon hearing the anger in my voice. I could almost see the battle in his eyes, about whether he was going to tell me what was going on or whether he would keep me ignorant. In the end, he sighed deeply, having lost the fight against himself. "About yesterday… about what you found out… what you did?"

His words triggered something and then, suddenly, from one second to another, memories flooded my mind. "Oh…" I breathed. The visitors, what they told me, my trip to the meadow, the breakdown in the shower, the arm wrestling match against Emmett and then, afterwards, telling the Cullens about my being a… "Vampire Slayer… They told me that I'm a… Vampire Slayer…"

I looked at Edward uncertainly, wondering when he would pull his hand back, when he would realize what this meant… for him… for us. I couldn't get rid of the image of Edward and me standing on opposite sides of a battlefield, ready to fight each other, to kill each other. But instead of pulling away, he pulled me closer, holding me tightly against his marble chest.

"It's alright," he mumbled into my ear. "We will find a way out of this mess. We always do. You know that. The whole family will be with you."

I nodded weakly against his hard and cold skin, fighting against the tears that threatened to escape my eyes. I remembered the Cullens' support from the previous night, but I had feared that they had decided otherwise in the course of the night, after they had had enough time to think about the whole situation. That they were still there, standing by my side, was a huge relief.

"Come on," Edward said softly. "You should get dressed and then something to eat. It's almost lunchtime for you humans."

Pulling away from Edward, I looked once again up at him and smiled gratefully. However, at the same time I also noticed that his eyes were almost pitch-black. "You need to feed, too," I told him, but he waved me off.

"Later," he said. "You're more important now. And it's not that bad. It's… bearable."

Looking at his face, I tried to discern if he was lying – which he probably was – but Edward truly was the best liar I had ever seen – the complete opposite of me, the worst liar the world had ever known. "Okay…" I conceded finally, and slid out of the bed. A fresh change of clothes was already lying on Edwards black couch and, being glad that it was just a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I grabbed them before disappearing in the bathroom.

The water in the shower was almost scalding, but I didn't care. I wished I could stay longer under the hot spray, but I didn't want Edward to worry about me even more, so I hurried getting ready for the day. I tried to focus on my tasks, but that didn't keep my thoughts from wandering, as I had hoped.

I quickly realized that I actually didn't know that much about what I am now, except for the few things that Xander and Willow had told me yesterday, but it really wasn't much. I knew what I was (or at least, what they claimed I was) and that I was a lot faster, stronger and a lot less clumsy than before. I had beaten Emmett in an arm wrestling match, but Alice said that he would break my bones, if I tried again. Jake had beaten me during our race home and even though I healed a lot faster than before, I believed that I still didn't heal nearly as fast as a werewolf.

So there was only once thing to do, I decided, as I left the bathroom and joined Edward, who was fully dressed by now as well, in his bedroom. "Edward, did Alice and Esme find the card in my jeans?"

Edward simply nodded and pulled out a card of the pocket of his dark blue designer jeans. "I don't like it," he told me, as he handed me the card. He noticed my hesitation, as I reached out to take it from him, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. I was afraid and even though he couldn't read my mind, I knew that he could still smell it. But my resolve strengthened, as my fingers gripped the card tighter.

"I don't like it either, but you know as well as I do that we need more information about this Slayer gig." I tried to be flippant about it, however, I really should have known better than to try to fool Edward, as a low growl escaped his throat. "It's really the only way," I added in a more quiet voice.

"I still don't like it," he repeated stubbornly, and I couldn't resist the light grin that spread over my face. Fortunately, at this very moment, my stomach decided to announce that it wanted something to eat. I was so relieved, when a grin also stole over Edward's face and he took my left hand into his. "Let's get you something to eat, Bella. You're starving."

"In a moment," I insisted, as I took the new shiny cell phone that Edward had seen fit to get me, from the nightstand, where it had miraculously landed after I had forgotten it at Charlie's house yesterday, and flipped it open with trembling hands.

Edward eyed the cell phone with distaste. "Now?"

"Now," I told him. The look on his face turned murderous again, so I quickly added, "I won't have any appetite until I have talked to them and know when and where to meet them."

"But I will come with you."

I resisted rolling my eyes, because I actually was glad that Edward decided to come, even though I feared it at the same time. If Xander and Willow had been fighting against vampires for several years already, they ought to be able to recognize one if they saw one. I really didn't want to endanger Edward, but I knew at the same time that he would never stay at home, while I went to meet them.

"Okay," I agreed, and before he could say more, I dialed the number on the card and put the phone to my ear.

My heart beat a hundred miles a minute, while I waited for someone on the other side to answer. I was sure that even a human would hear the incredibly loud thumping in my chest, so it was no wonder that Edward wrapped a calming arm around my shoulder. I was so tense that I almost snapped the phone shut, when I heard a male voice answer on the other side.

"Yes?" The reception wasn't the best, wherever he seemed to be, but I could still understand him very well.

"Uhm… Mr. Harris… Xander?" I stuttered. "This... this is Bella Swan..."

"Bella!" His voice sounded surprised, but relieved at the same time. He obviously hadn't expected my call so soon. Edward's arm around my shoulder tensed slightly, but I ignored him, as I listened to whatever Xander might say next. "It's nice to hear from you. How are you holding up?"

"I'm…" fine, I wanted to say, but this would only anger Edward even more. He knew just as well as I did that I was far from fine. Instead I said, "…confused… I need more answers. As soon as possible."

"Today…" Edward whispered into my ear.

"Today," I repeated into the receiver. "If it's possible."

"Of course it is. Willow and I, we're still in Port Angeles. Do you know this small Italian restaurant, Bella Italia I think it's called? Will and I've been eating there last night and it was delicious. What about meeting us for lunch there?"

Edward shook his head and I knew what he wanted to tell me. He wanted to come with me and the sun was still up. "I'm sorry, but I can't make it this afternoon. Tonight would be better. My car broke down yesterday and I need to borrow my fiancé's car. He'll first be back tonight around seven." I looked at Edward for confirmation and he nodded.

"If you don't mind waiting until tonight, okay. Shall we say about eightish?"

"Sounds good," I breathed. "So, I'll see you tonight. Bye…"

I quickly snapped the phone shut without waiting for a reply. I hoped that Xander wouldn't be too mad at me – he really seemed to be nice and worried about me. I stared at the phone for a long moment after that, my hands still shaking. "It's going to be alright," I suddenly heard Edward's voice. He took the phone out of my hands and tugged it into the pocket of my jeans. "I'll be there tonight. They won't hurt you, I promise."

"I know…" I whispered, finally leaning against him. I had just gotten up and was again feeling completely drained. My stomach was still growling, but contrary to just a few minutes ago, I now also felt as if I could eat something. But before I ate something, there was still something else I needed to know. "Edward… what about… my truck?"

His gazed at me with sympathy in his eyes, as he led me out of his room and down the stairs. "I'm sorry, Bella… Rose took a look at it last night, but she couldn't save it. She said that she would need a lot of new parts and that it was extremely difficult to get them for such an old car." His voice sounded as if he was truly sorry for me, but at the same time I could clearly hear the evidence in his voice that he actually wasn't that sad that my poor old truck was dead. Great, I wonder how long it would take, until he bought me a new car. Why, oh why did I ever agree to this stupid compromise that he could buy me a new car, if my old one passed on?

Still, the only thing I could mutter was a quiet, "Oh…", as he pushed me down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table and just a split second later placed a plate with pancakes in front of me. I was surprised to see that they were still steaming.

"Alice put them in the microwave and set the timer so that they would be warmed up, when we're coming down," Edward explained, as he took the seat next to me.

"Where are the others?" I asked, after I had swallowed the first bite.

"Hunting."

"Oh…" I just said again. Another look at his eyes told me again that he was also in desperate need of blood. "You should go, too… I'll be alright."

"Later," he waved me off again. "Now, eat up first, and then I'll have to show you something."

"What is it?"

Edward winked at me with my favorite crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You'll see."

Not really sure, if I really wanted to see, what Edward had planned to show me, I deliberately slowed down and chewed each bite very carefully until I swallowed it. I had to resist the urge to giggle, when I noticed how Edward's eyebrows almost touched in the middle, while he was, rather impatiently, waiting for me to finish. Besides, there were still some other things I needed to know, before Edward tried to distract me from my current situation.

"Sooo," I eventually said, not looking up from my pancakes. "My truck's dead and can't be revived… But what about the bathroom? Can it be saved?"

I carefully glanced at Edward through the curtain of hair that had fallen over my shoulder. Somehow, this almost felt like the first biology lesson all over again. Only this time, he wasn't looking at me as if he wanted to kill me. No, he was smiling actually. "Oh, Esme is delighted to have a new project. As a matter of fact, she called Charlie this morning and told him that she'd like to inspect the bathroom along with him tomorrow. She told him how sorry you were about the accident and that she had offered to help repair the damage. You refused her of course," he added with a wink, "but Esme couldn't resist helping out, especially considering how much she loves renovating. Believe me, in just a few days, you won't recognize your bathroom. And after that, Esme hopes that Charlie might agree to let her do a few things around the rest of the house. She was appalled to see that the kitchen seemed to be at least fifteen years old."

"Twenty," I mumbled, burying my face in the palms of my head. What had I done? I had unleashed Esme, probably along with Alice, on my old house. Charlie would never know what hit him, when those two started their project. Though, when I thought just a bit longer about it, it might do Charlie some good to get rid of the things he and Renée had bought together for this house. Maybe he would finally move on. Eventually, with a long suffered sigh, I removed my hands and looked up at Edward through my lashed with a deep blush warming my cheeks. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome, Bella, although there's no need for you to thank us. You and Charlie are family and helping each other is just what our family does."

"I know," I whined, but the light grin on my face should tell Edward that I wasn't too angry about this. "But Charlie's just like me in that aspect. He's just different from me in one way, which is that he's usually so overwhelmed that he doesn't reject help or gifts…"

"…which you usually do at once," Edward completed my sentence with a well-knowing grin. Nodding to my plate, he finally asked, "Are you finished with your breakfast, or do you want more?"

I looked down at my plate in surprised. While we were talking, I hadn't even realized that I had also been eating at the same time. The plate was empty now and I was pleasantly full. Pushing the plate away, I shook my head. "No, thanks… That's enough for now."

"Fabulous," he exclaimed, as he took my hand and carefully pulled me from my chair. "Now I can finally show you my surprise."

"Edward!" I snapped indignantly. "You know that I don't like surprises. We've just talked about this, for heaven's sake!" Instead of answering, Edward only rolled his eyes, but didn't let go of my hand, as he continued to drag me around. His grip on my hand not strong enough to hurt me – Edward would never willingly hurt me – but still strong enough so that I couldn't escape (but I still realized that Edward had to use more strength than usual to keep me _contained)_. And he always kept one eye on me to make sure that he wasn't going too fast or that I wasn't going to stumble over my own feet.

We left the house and walked to the garage and already I had a really bad feeling in my stomach. Somehow, deep inside, I knew already, what Edward wanted to show me. Well, not exactly _what_; but I had a general idea. And this idea had four wheels.

"Edward, no," I tried to tell him, in vain. He flashed me a quick grin and didn't stop until we were standing right in front of one of the huge garage doors. "Please, tell me that this is a joke," I pleaded.

Edward, however, simply shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's not."

Finally, he let go of my hand and I crossed my arms sullenly in front of my chest. I knew that I was acting like a child, but I was still pouting.

Sighing, Edward spread his arms, inviting me into his embrace, which I couldn't resist of course. Once he had me in his arms, he pulled me close against his chest and whispered into my ear, "You promised, Bella."

"I know…" I admitted regretfully. But this still didn't mean that I had to like it.

"Then come on, let's take a look." He gently pulled me away from him and suddenly the garage door opened. I instinctively closed my eyes, still being childish. Edward's sudden cold breath against my cheek, as he had moved around me, sent a shiver down my spine. I leaned with my back against his chest, as he gently ordered, "Open your eyes."

And open my eyes, I did, and I still regret it. Because behind that door was a sleek black car, a Mercedes sedan as far as I could recognize. I still didn't speak _Car and Driver_, so it was really all I noticed, oh, and of course that it was way too much for me. It was big, about as big as Carlisle's car, and the windows were tinted, almost black, and it was impossible to see the interior of a car. This car was clearly meant to be for someone important, a superstar, or a politician or someone like that, but not for me. I was simply not worth it.

"What are you thinking?"

Edward's voice always sounded honestly curious, when he asked this question, and I knew that, just as usual, he wouldn't like my thoughts. So I only told him, "It's too much. I can't accept it."

I could almost hear the frown in his voice, as he repeated, "You promised that I could buy you a new car, when your truck died."

"Yes, I did. But I was thinking about a… normal car. A sensible car."

"This car is sensible," Edward contradicted my assumption that this car wasn't a sensible one. "It's a Mercedes Guard, also called Guardian, and it is fitted with the highest standards of security. It's a lot safer than your truck would have ever been."

And this he said about my poor truck, which survived a collision with Tyler Crowley's van – we may not forget that nothing happened to my truck, while the van was totaled. However, suddenly, from one moment to another, a rather insane thought shot through my mind. Actually, it wasn't that crazy, if I thought about Edward's conception of safety in regards to me. I turned around to face him again and asked in a desperate voice, "Please, don't tell me that it's bulletproof!"

"It isn't bulletproof," he told me, just like I'd asked him to, and he didn't seem to be lying. I was just about to sigh with relief, when he suddenly added, "It's missile-proof."

My eyes widened, as my gaze wandered a few times from the car to Edward, again to the car and finally back to Edward. My mouth opened a few times, but never a word or even a sound escaped. In the end I just managed a groan and fell against his chest. His hands immediately grabbed me and pulled me close again, even though I just wanted to hit him at this very moment. "I hate you," I mumbled instead, but not really meaning it. Edward knew this, fortunately, as he gently pulled me back and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I'm just worried about you, and when I ordered the car, none of us knew that you would suddenly not be as… breakable… as you used to be… before I even…"

Somehow, it was a small relief to hear that he had just as many problems with saying something about changing me as I had with talking about the wedding. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one with issues. "I know… and it's sweet, in a weird way… But a missile-proof car?" I shook my head. "What do I need a missile-proof car for, when I'm soon missile-proof myself?"

"Oh, that's easy to explain," Edward said with a grin on his face. "The Mercedes Guardian was just meant to be your 'before' car. You're 'after' car is over there."

He pointed to the deepest corner of the garage and there I could see something covered by a sheet. "Oh no, I don't want to know."

"Aren't you in the last bit curious?"

"No, not at all," I answered quickly, shaking my head to emphasize my point. I really wasn't interested. I only knew one thing for sure already – what kind of car it ever was, it was probably made for speed. Something like a Ferrari. I shuddered at the thought.

"Well, I wouldn't show you anyway. But now I guess you need this." All of a sudden, he was dangling a key in front of my eyes. Obviously the key to the Mercedes.

I winced, when I looked again at the car. Way to go to stay inconspicuous. "Can't you just get the new parts for the truck?"

"No." With this single word, he dropped the key in my palm and closed my fingers around it. "Now, let's take this baby for a test ride. You should get home anyway. Charlie is still worried about you because of the shower."

"You honestly expect me to drive this… thing?"

"Of course," Edward answered easily. He was already holding the driver's door open for me. Reluctantly, dragging my feet, I joined him and peeked inside. The seats were made of light colored leather, of course, and the rest of the interior contained so much technology that I was sure that I would never get the hang of it. But at least it wasn't an automatic, that was a plus. "Don't be shy."

I growled at him, a very weak imitation of his own growl, which sounded more like a tame kitten than a lion, but I slid into the driver's seat. Before I was even sitting, Edward was already in the passenger's seat. Much to my surprise, he didn't say anything, as I tried to figure out how to start the car, but my hands were sweaty, when the soft purr of the engine finally echoed in the garage. I wasn't sure, if I could do this.

"It's going to be alright," Edward told me. "You just have to remember that this car is not your truck. It's much more sensitive and you don't need violence to do anything."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Very funny." But I heeded his warning and pressed the accelerator just with the tips of my toes. Immediately the car jumped forward, startling me so much that I accidentally killed the engine. "Woah!" Already, I was about to unfasten the seatbelt and was ready to leave the car. "I can't do this. Besides, what will Charlie say, when he sees the car?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Charlie knows already. And now, try again. Please."

I just shook my head, as I once again started the car and gently pushed down the accelerator. Somehow it didn't surprise me that Charlie knew about my new car, even though I suspected that he didn't know everything about that car. This time the car didn't jump, but moved smoothly along the driveway. I kept glancing back and forth between the road and the speedometer, afraid of going too fast with this car. Suddenly, another thought hit me. "Tell me, Edward… How long do you already have this car?"

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes. Edward shrugged. "A few days."

"Why so long? Did Alice see that I would kill my truck?"

"No," Edward answered, much to my confusion at first. "But… please don't be angry… I planned to kill your truck anyway in the next few days."

"You what?!" I exclaimed, the car swerving dangerously on the road, as I whirled around to face him. He winced, as he quickly grabbed the steering wheel and got the car back under control. "Wait, don't answer," I eventually said, grabbing the staring wheel with both hands and this time not removing my eyes from the road again. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest after this almost accident. The car might be missile-proof, as was Edward, but I still wasn't. I wasn't even sure if I was bulletproof now.

"I'm sorry," Edward apologized in a quiet voice. "I just wanted you to be safe."

I sighed. "I know, Edward. And I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just that… everything…"

"I understand." Edward's hand itched towards mine, unsure if he would disturb my concentration if he touched me. I smiled lightly and removed my right hand from the steering wheel, entwining my fingers with his. Immediately I felt my tense shoulders relax and sighed quietly.

We didn't speak much during the rest of the ride and reached Charlie's house just a few minutes later. However, I was relieved, when I finally killed the engine. I had been more than aware of the people's curious and surprised looks, when they saw my car drive through Forks, and I was happy that this was over now. Still, now being home also meant saying goodbye to Edward. He would run into the forest as soon as I was inside, hiding in the shadows and going hunting. And then he would come and get me tonight as soon as the sun had set, which would be about half past seven. This would leave us with only half an hour to get to Port Angeles, but knowing Edward's driving style, I wasn't worried that we'd be late.

Charlie's cruiser was standing in the driveway, which meant that Charlie was home, too. I really wasn't looking forward to any questions he might ask concerning the shower, my truck and the visitors yesterday, but I believed that I had credible answers for everything. I might be a terrible liar, but maybe I could conceal some of the truth, or at least try to.

"Well then," I said, after I had unfastened my seatbelt. "I think this means goodbye."

"I like 'See you later' much better than goodbye," Edward said smiling and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. I noticed at once that he didn't breathe and realized that he really must be a lot thirstier than he pretended to be.

"Okay, then see you later. And have fun during your hunting trip and eat until you're full. If you're eyes aren't golden, when I see you tonight, I'll be angry."

"Yes, ma'am," Edward saluted and kissed me again shortly. It was nothing more than a peck, but I already stopped breathing again. "Breathe, Bella," he ordered and I did. I was sure there was a dazed smile on my face. "And don't let your mind linger on what might happen tonight. Try to relax, enjoy a good book, and I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll try," I promised and got out of the car. I didn't lock it, knowing that Edward still needed to leave, and besides, no one in Forks would steal a car like this from the front yard of the police chief.

Charlie was already waiting for me on the porch, gazing at the black car in wonder and whistling in appreciation. "Hey Bells," he greeted me smiling. "So that's the new car Edward told me about?"

I had to suppress a sigh. "Yes, it is. Ostentatious, isn't it?" I knew perfectly well that Edward would hear me, but I didn't care. He couldn't read my mind, so he needed to hear me say it, and using the same phrase he had once used to describe Rosalie's BMW was the best way to show what I thought of it. "Come on, dad, you can look at it later. Edward told me that Esme called you this morning?" I asked, as I ushered him inside and closed the door behind us. I hoped Edward would use this chance to run, because I just knew that Charlie wouldn't stay away from the car for long. And once Charlie opened the door, not even the tinted glass would conceal Edward's presence in the car.

Once in the kitchen, Charlie told me everything about his conversation with Esme, after asking if I was truly alright and agreed with me that the day before had truly sucked, after I told him about my truck breaking down on the way to the Cullens. While we were talking, I prepared some lunch for him, and as I put the plate in front of him, he finally asked the question I had been dreading the most.

"So, what about your visitors yesterday? What did they want to talk about?"

I shrugged. "College, just as they said. They're working for a school for gifted girls and thought that I might be one of them. Maybe this is just some mistake, just like the scholarship from the Pacific Northwest Trust. However, they left me a card and told me to call them, if I had any more questions. Edward convinced me to call them this morning and we're going to meet them again tonight in Port Angeles." There, not a whole lie, but also not the complete truth.

"That's good, Bells. I mean, I know I don't see eye to eye with Edward on many things, but at least we agree on your future education. I still don't understand, why you would go to a college in Alaska, when you could go to a college like Dartmouth."

"Dad," I whined, not wanting to talk to him about this again. He raised his hands in surrender, much to my relief, and continued to eat his lunch.

After he was finished, I rinsed the dishes, while he went into the living room to watch TV. I didn't join him, but went upstairs instead, and just like Edward had said, took one of my favorite books and began to read. Unexpectedly, I was quickly getting lost in the story for about the hundredth time and much to my surprise, the afternoon passed really fast.

I barely noticed the sun setting, but as the orange and red beams hit my face, I knew that Edward would be here soon. I put the book aside and went to the bathroom to brush my hair. My eyes fell on the demolished shower wall and I cringed. There wasn't even a mark on my knuckles and yet, there were broken tiles and plaster everywhere, as well as two nice holes in the wall. Averting my gaze, I took one last look in the mirror, before I left the bathroom, and just at this moment, the doorbell rang. Edward was here.

Charlie had already opened the door and invited Edward inside, as I came down the stairs. My gaze immediately wandered to his eyes and I was relieved to see that they were no longer pitch black. He offered me a reassuring smile, as I came to a halt next to him. "Are you ready?" he asked seriously, his tone betraying a deeper meaning to his question.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Charlie laughed loudly and clapped me on the shoulder. "Come on, Bells. You sound, as if you're going to meet your executioner."

I suppressed a wince, thinking that this might just as well be my executioner. Those two people could destroy my life as I had known it until now. Forcing a smile on my lips, I told him, "You're right, dad. It can't be that bad. I'll stay with the Cullens tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Charlie agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Bella, goodbye Edward."

"Goodbye Charlie," Edward said, as he took my hand and led me outside. I waved at Charlie and closed the door behind me, immediately letting the cheerful mask fall. I allowed Edward to lead me to his Volvo and sat down in the passenger's seat, after he had opened the door for me. As soon as he was seated in the driver's seat and had pulled out of the driveway, he put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me close to his chest. "Everything's going to be alright."

I didn't say anything, didn't react at all. Instead I tried to concentrate on the soothing motions his fingers made on my arm, not wanting to think about what we were going to do, whom we were going to meet or what we might be going to hear. I didn't even complain about the speed, which was highly unusual.

Soon, much too soon, Edward stopped the Volvo in front of the plain Italian restaurant. We had only been here once before – the night I had confronted Edward with what I had found out about vampires, the night he had saved my life for the second time. It was kind of ironic that it would be this place, where my life would change again.

Being the typical gentleman, Edward helped me out of the car and didn't let go of my hand, as we entered the restaurant. It was dimly lit and the musical piece 'La Traviata' played in the background to create the Italian flair. I let my gaze wander around the room until my eyes suddenly fell on the two people I'd been looking for, just as Xander looked up and directly at me. A smile spread over his face, as he waved. Edward noticed this as well, and after a questioning look at me, which I answered with a nod, he ignored the attractive blond waitress that was about to talk to him, and led me over to the table.

"Bella!" Xander exclaimed, still smiling, and got up from his chair. Willow followed his example and also stood to greet us. "It's good to see you."

"Xander, Willow," I greeted them, hoping that they wouldn't hear the fear through the fake confidence, and shook their hands. "This is my fiancé Edward Cullen. I told him everything and he insisted to accompany me."

I watched, my whole body tense, their reaction to Edward, as he greeted them as well with a handshake. Either they were very good actors – which might very well be possible – or they really didn't recognize him for what he was, which would be really strange given everything they had told me until now.

I was lost in my speculations so deeply that I almost didn't hear their offer to join them at their table, but I reacted just in time to sit down on a free chair with Edward at my side. The waitress appeared again at our table, staring of course at Edward the whole time, to take our orders. Just as the last time, I ordered the mushroom ravioli and a coke, while Edward just ordered the coke, which he would probably give to me. After the waitress had also taken the order of Willow and Xander, she disappeared again and an uncomfortable silence fell over our table.

Finally, after seemingly endless minutes, Xander cleared his throat. "So, you're gonna get married, huh? Congratulations."

"Thank you," Edward answered formally. "But you and I, Mr. Harris, both know that we're not here to talk about the wedding. Yesterday, you came to Bella and told her something that has turned her whole life upside down. She relayed everything you told her to me, and I don't think this is nearly enough information. So, I believe you owe both of us, and most importantly Bella, some answers."

Xander nodded seriously, gazing at me with his one eye. I also noticed Willow's eyes on me, though she had a concentrated look on her face. I didn't pay her any heed, as I felt Edward's hand in mine and as he nodded at me reassuringly.

I cleared my throat, before I said, "I… First… I…" Swallowing hard, I tried to find the right words. "You told me the basics about a Slayer… that the Slayer is incredibly fast… and strong. That she's meant to fight v-vampires. But how did she come to be? And why? I just can't imagine that one girl should be strong enough…" I trailed off, shaking my head. And this just in time, as our drinks arrived at that moment. I wrapped my free hand around the cool glass and looked at Xander expectantly.

He smiled lightly at me and somehow, this smile made me feel a bit calmer, but he suddenly turned serious again. "Thousands of years ago, the world needed a champion to fight against the forces of darkness, all the demons and vampires that roamed the world. Some shamans, the very first Watchers, decided to take a girl and forced the spirit of a demon inside of her. This gave her the superpowers she needed to fight against the demons and win. This was the birth of the first Slayer and of the Slayer lineage. From that moment on, this destiny was passed on to the next girl, when the Slayer died. You can basically say that a Slayer is something like a guardian over our world. Buffy, the Slayer who shared her powers with all the other Potentials, herself saved the world a few times."

My eyes grew wide upon hearing this. I just couldn't believe it. Well, I could understand that the world might need someone to protect it, but one single girl? A girl that was being forced to do this against her will, having a demon put inside of her? And after that first girl, thousands of other girl after her? I shook my head, still in disbelief, but what Xander had told me, opened up more room for questions. "Y-you said that the destiny will be passed on, when one Slayer dies. How long… how long does a Slayer live?"

Willow and Xander exchanged a look, which I didn't like at all. Edward didn't like it either, according to the low growl in his throat.

This time, it was Willow who answered. "The normal… lifespan… of a Slayer used to be… one year, at the most. But we changed things," she quickly added, obviously seeing the shocked look on my face. "When Buffy became the Slayer, she was the great exception to the rule. She had a family, she had friends, people to live for. She lasted much longer than any other Slayer, and is still alive and kicking." I had the weird feeling that there was something, she wasn't telling me, but thought that this might be a question for another time – if there was another time. "Her ties to the world saved her, something the old Watcher's Council didn't want to realize, but our new Council encourages those ties. We want to help the new Slayers to survive until they're old and grey."

"And are you succeeding?"

I looked up at Edward. His voice was cool, his face expressionless, as he gazed at them. Our dinner arrived then, my raviolis, Xander's pizza and Willow's salad. We thanked the waitress politely, but Edward's eyes never once moved away from the two people across from him.

"We've suffered some heavy losses, especially during the battle in Sunnydale," Xander answered his question, once the waitress was gone. "There were thousands of super strong vampires and just twenty odd girls fighting against them. They had no chance and all would have died, if the vampires hadn't been destroyed by a magical amulet worn by one of our own fighters. But something else has changed since then. There are not just hundreds, if not thousands of Slayers, but all of them are also a lot stronger than the original Slayer has been before."

"How?" I asked.

"We guess that the magic I used to unleash the Slayer's power also gave them an extra boost. While the Slayer had already been incredibly fast and strong, they have become even faster and stronger," Willow explained. I suddenly found myself a lot more interested, because this was also about me now. "Try to look at it this way. When this first Ubervamp, or as it is really called, Turok-Han appeared in Sunnydale, Buffy almost died fighting him, and in the end defeated him just narrowly. But after the power was unleashed, the new Slayers could fight them on an even ground, almost as if they had been fighting normal vampires without this extra power boost."

"I see…" I mumbled, even though I once again had more questions. If I was now even stronger than a normal Slayer, how could the old Slayers have fought against vampires and won? It didn't seem possible. Even now I was barely a match for Emmett and although I hadn't yet tried to fight against one of the others, I knew that it would be incredibly hard to win.

My gaze whirled around to Edward, as his whole body suddenly tensed. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Willow and Xander exchange a look that reminded me too much of a conversation between Edward and his siblings. I wondered, what was going on. What was Edward hearing in their thoughts? I looked at him with questioning eyes, when he suddenly rose from his chair, pulling me with him, and said, "If you'd excuse us for a moment?"

Edward didn't wait for an answer, as he pulled me out of the front door. We stopped some steps away from the door. "What was this about?" I asked him.

"That woman, Willow, can read minds."

"What?" I exclaimed, shocked. "Can she read my mind, too?"

Now, a light smirk tugged at Edward's lips, as he pushed a strand of hair behind my hair. "Your mind is, as usual, completely closed. And this is exactly what's frustrating her. She wants to hear what you're thinking, how you're taking all of this, but all she gets is silence."

It was a bit of a relief to hear that she, too, was unable to read my mind, but I was still getting a bit panicked. "And what about you? Did she read your mind, too?"

"Of course she did. But all she gets from me is a whole lot of background noise. Between all the other voices that I'm hearing, she can't make my own thoughts out. I daresay that she's almost more puzzled by this than about her inability to hear you."

"So it's not a Slayer thing…"

"What are you talking about?" Edward wanted to know, gazing at me with curiosity shining in his eyes.

I shook my head with a small smile tugging at my lips. "It's nothing… I just thought that maybe… you can't hear my thoughts because I'm a Slayer. But if Willow expected to hear my thoughts, this can't be it."

"It was a good thought," Edward said, taking both of my hands in his, and pressed his lips against my forehead. "One I had entertained as well. But as it seems, you'll always be a mystery."

"Great," I answered sarcastically. We remained silent for a moment, enjoying each other's company, before he pulled one of my hands back. "We should go back inside. They must be getting suspicious."

"Yes," Edward sighed. "They're wondering what's up. I'd rather not go back inside, but you still have questions, don't you?"

I nodded, not daring to look at him, because there was one question in particular that I still wanted to ask. One question that meant everything to me.

"Then let's go back inside."

Edward didn't apologize again for our sudden departure, despite the wondering looks Xander and Willow gave us. My ravioli was slowly getting cold, but I wasn't that hungry. I needed to get this question off my chest, so before either Xander or Willow could speak, I asked, "Has… has there ever been the case of a Slayer that has been turned into a vampire?"

This time Edward's eyes snapped around to me, but I ignored them. Instead, I stared at Xander, knowing that he would give me an answer. Until now, he hadn't lied once to me, as far as I knew, and I felt that I could trust him. "Yes," he said. "There have been some cases."

"And what has happened to them?"

Deep inside, a voice was screaming at me that I didn't want to hear it. And this voice was right. Xander's answer sent a shudder down my spine, even though I had expected it. "They were killed by the Watcher's Council."

However, it was his further explanation that I hadn't expected, and which let Edward hiss quietly. I wanted to cover his ears, but knew that he had already heard it in Xander's head. Everything I had worked for with Edward, about convincing him that he wasn't a monster, had been in vain. Those few words seemed to destroy everything.

"You see, when a human is turned into a vampire, they lose their soul and instead a demon takes over the body. It has all of the human's memories, but is in truth just a shell with a new, evil being inside. Nothing of the human is left, no love, no compassion, nothing. They drink the blood of their victims and enjoy killing them. There are only two known cases of vampires with a soul. One was cursed and the other one went through a series of trials to earn his. So, it's just the most natural and most humane reaction to kill the Slayer that has been turned into a vampire."

Again, silence fell over us. I tried to catch Edward's gaze, but he was just staring blankly past Xander out of the window. I wanted to tell him, no needed to tell him that this couldn't be true. His whole family was proof of it. They weren't monsters. I just couldn't believe it. Could a monster love so strongly as Edward and Esme could? Could a monster save lives like Carlisle? Could a monster be as happy and outgoing as Alice and Emmett were? And could a monster be so worried about its family like Rosalie and Jasper were?

"You still haven't asked the most important question," Willow interrupted my thoughts quietly. My eyes met hers and I almost looked away again. Her eyes were filled with pain and regret. She could see what this was doing to me and was obviously extremely sorry for it.

I nodded, guessing what she meant. My voice was quiet, shaking, as I asked, "How do you kill a vampire?" Tear them into pieces and burn them. That was the answer I expected, because this was what I had witnessed. But instead I was confronted with the myths that Edward had proven false.

"Wooden stake through the heart, beheading, fire, sunlight," Xander listed. "But to know how it works, you should see yourself. Or rather, do it yourself."

With those words, he grabbed into the pocket of his jacket that was hanging over the back of his chair and discreetly pulled out a crudely carved wooden stake, which he handed over to me. I looked down at the stake and then back at him, my eyes wide in shock. Next to me, Edward was growling and I was afraid that he might do something stupid, but he kept still. For my sake, I realized.

"There are just two rules – don't lose your weapon, because the vamps already have theirs, and don't die."


	6. Vampire

**A/N: Wow, thanks for all those terrific reviews! Now I know I did the right thing, when I started putting my plot bunny into words. ;) As to your questions: I really don't want to reveal to much, but some of them will at least be partly answered in this chapter. If you have more questions, I only have to ask you to be patient. In my opintion, too many spoilers can always ruin a story. **

**But now, I won't let you wait any longer! Here's the new chapter!**

* * *

**Vampire**

„That's it, we're leaving."

My head whirled around, surprised, when I heard Edward's cold exclamation. His face was completely closed off, as he pulled a bundle of green dollar bills out of his pocket and threw them on the table – probably enough to cover most of the expenses of every guest in the restaurant – and I knew immediately that this was a bad sign. Edward was angry, really truly pissed off. Ready to kill.

Before I could say something, before Willow or Xander could even react at all, Edward was standing, my hand held tightly in his. "If you ever come near Bella again…" He let his threat trail off, but alone the deathly cold tone of his voice conveyed the message. If they ever came near me again, they wouldn't survive.

Edward tugged at my hand, and I rose reluctantly from my chair. "I'm sorry," I whispered, barely able to look at the two persons who had turned not just my life, but now apparently also Edward's life, upside down, before Edward's pull on my hand grew stronger and I had to follow him as he left the restaurant. I threw one last look over my shoulder, as I walked through the door, and what I saw on Xander's and Willow's faces made me feel really bad – they looked truly guilty for what they had said and done.

And suddenly I realized that, even though they were in fact guilty of activating that power of the Slayer within me and countless other girls, they simply had had no other choice. This world would have probably been turned into hell on earth, if they hadn't done this. Evil would have ruled, making this world to its playground. Thousands, no, millions of humans would have died. When you had that choice between letting Evil win and sacrificing a few girls to save the world, you had to look at the bigger picture. And they had done the right thing.

Sometimes, to do what is right, you simply have to hurt others. I think I knew that better than most people.

However, this still didn't explain, why they were confirming all those myths about vampires, of which I knew that they weren't true, but I was ready to give them the benefit of the doubt. Especially seeing as something inside of me agreed with what they had told me about vampires, about killing them, despite my knowing better.

It was weird. Two sides of me fighting against each other. All my experiences, all my knowledge about vampires telling me that Willow and Xander were lying, while another part of me, my instincts, told me that it was the truth.

It was absolutely confusing.

And I desperately needed to get to the bottom of this. I needed to figure out what was true, what was right… Could it be that there was more than one truth? More than one kind of vampire?

I knew that Edward just wanted to protect me, that he wanted me to get away from them, because he thought that I was in danger, that they were a danger to me. And yet, I couldn't leave, at least not yet.

So, as soon as I'd come to this decision, I yanked my hand out of Edward's grip – with much more ease than I had expected, thanks to my new strength - and stopped dead in my tracks. We had almost reached the Volvo by now and Edward was already holding the keys in his hands, as he spun around to face me. "Bella!" he snapped, irritated. His hand ran through his already messy hair, before he pinched the bridge of his nose. Oh yes, he was really pissed.

"I'm not leaving," I stated, crossing my arms in front of my chest. At that moment, I noticed that I was still holding the stake Xander had given me in my right hand. I gripped it tighter, reveling in the strange feeling of security it gave me, and stood my ground.

"Are you insane, Bella?" It was almost scary, how much hearing my name spoken by his heavenly voice, no matter how angry or upset he was with me, made my knees tremble. But I couldn't be swayed by his voice, not this time.

"No… yes. Maybe. I don't know. But I do know that I have to go back inside."

"For what? For more lies?" he hissed, stepping closer to me and gently grabbing my shoulders. Now, close up, I could see that his eyes, which had been a soft golden color before we left, were pitch-black. "Because that's all you've heard tonight, Bella. Lies. You know the truth. You know that everything they've just told you is just a myth. One would think that they'd recognize a vampire, if they met one, but they didn't. I even shook their hands and they didn't react at all."

I sighed softly, and let my arms fall to my sides. For all intents and purposes, it looked like I was giving up, and I felt Edward's hands on my shoulders relax ever so lightly. But I was far from giving up, even though his reasons were sound. I just needed Edward to calm down enough to answer my question. "Edward," I said gently, looking directly into his dark eyes, "tell me: Do they believe that what they told me is the truth?"

He gave me a long, tense look, and he spoke through gritted teeth, when he finally answered, "Yes. I couldn't detect the purpose of lying in their thoughts."

I nodded to myself, lowering my gaze. This was exactly what I had suspected. Willow and Xander really believed in their own vampire myth and the Slayer. So, either they were the ones who belonged into an asylum or this whole situation was a lot more complicated than I had thought. Maybe they just didn't know better, or maybe Emmett was really behind this to play a trick on me.

No, it wasn't Emmett's doing, I decided at once, nor was it the possibility that they were insane. The new power in me was real and I've enough proof that I wasn't just imagining it. I had tested it in several different ways, in front of other people, and they had all seen what I could do. Even if the thing about the Slayer wasn't true, I was still different.

"What are you thinking?"

I looked up again, as Edward's worried voice tore me out of my thoughts. He was looking at me, still with some anger in his eyes, but the concern in them was more prominent now. He carefully reached up and wiped a loose strand of my hair out of my face, tugging it behind my ear. His cold hands sent a shiver down my spine, and suddenly another thought hit me. "Your hands… they were warm, when they shook them. In the car, on the drive to Port Angeles, you've been holding me the whole time with your hand, the same hand they shook as you greeted them. Your skin had absorbed some of my warmth."

I almost sighed in relief. At least that made sense now. They couldn't have identified Edward as a vampire due to his body temperature, because his hand hadn't been as cold as usual. His skin was still pale, but so was mine. After all, we were living in the Olympic Peninsula, the place with the fewest sunny days in the States. And just who knew, which eye-color they were used to. I still had no idea, how _their_ vampires were looking like.

Yes, I was pretty sure by now that we were talking about different kinds of vampires. Hadn't they also talked about yet another different kind of vampire they had fought in the Hellmouth? The… ubervamps… Turok-Han?

Their vampires had to be the ones every myth talked about. Wooden stake, holy water, fire, sunlight… Everything fit. And, after all, when I looked at it logically, this myth must have some origin. It couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere, it wouldn't be found in so many – almost all – texts and tales about vampires, if it had just been made up.

My vampires… my rock hard, sparkling, vegetarian vampires, were simply different. They didn't fit to any of the myths, except sunlight, just in a different way. Another similarity was that they could be killed by fire; actually fire was the _only_ way to kill my vampires.

My vampires, their vampires… I was starting to have a headache.

I had been so lost in thoughts that I almost hadn't heard Edward mumble, "You're right."

My eyes focused again on him, as he was gazing down at his hands in realization. However, just a split second later, his eyes became hard again. So, before he could do anything, drag me into the car or whatever he might be planning, I blurted out, "I've got a theory."

Edward's eyebrow rose. His voice sounded doubtful, as he asked, "A theory?"

I nodded eagerly, wanting, no needing him to understand this. "I think that they _are_ telling the truth. But it's their truth, the only truth they know." I took a deep breath. "I believe that the vampires that they have described exist, too."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Edward took a step forward and gently placed his hands on my upper arms. His eyes locked with mine and my knees – sometimes I really hated how he affected me - went slightly weak at his imploring gaze. "Bella, think about it. This just isn't possible. All those years, how come that none of us, not even Carlisle, has come across those other vampires, if they truly exist?"

"I don't know." I didn't want to admit it, but this was the only question that I hadn't answered for myself, yet. He truly had a point. How had they never discovered the other vampires, if what Willow and Xander had said was true? Pushing those thoughts aside, hoping that we might find an answer to them later, hopefully with Carlisle's help, I added, "But I _do_ know that I'm right. Please, let me prove it to you. Let me go back to them."

"No Bella," Edward insisted, his voice fierce with protectiveness. "I won't let you. Even if I have to force you to leave, I will do it. I can't let you go ahead and put your life in danger like that. Again."

My anger at him started to grow again, despite the hint of desperation slipping into his voice. "I'm not weak!" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Not anymore. You can't protect me forever, Edward!"

Edward winced slightly at my tone, but I continued to glare at him. "Please Bella," he tried to soothe me, "let's not fight about this. Not now."

Oh, I so wanted to listen to him. Just let it all go. I didn't want to fight with him about this. But at the same time I wanted him to understand how important this was for me and that I would go back, whether it was with his _permission_ or not. Somehow, it was just like keeping me from La Push all over again. And see how well that turned out. After all, I had found a way to escape him back then as well. "You're right," I agreed. "I don't want to fight with you. But you leave me no other choice. I _will_ go back to them. If I go with or without you, that's entirely your choice."

Edward didn't answer. Instead, he just kept gazing into my eyes, and I feared that he would unleash the full power of his eyes on me. But I had to stay strong. I really couldn't give in, not now.

"Dazzling won't work," I told him weakly, as I grasped the stake in my hand even tighter, to remind myself just why I wanted to stand up to him in the first place. Much to my relief, his lips lifted just the tiniest bit, before they fell again.

Behind me, I could hear soft footsteps and a small tingle appeared in the back of my head. I almost reached out to scratch it, when I realized that it was similar to the tingle I felt whenever Edward or any of the other Cullen's had been around in the last few days, no weeks. Similar to the tingle I had yesterday, when I had met Jacob in the meadow. Another Slayer thing? A warning system? Like a… spider sense?

Great, I was again stealing ideas from superhero movies.

However, I couldn't ponder this question much longer, because, finally, after almost unbearable long seconds, Edward sighed. "Alright."

My whole body relaxed immediately after his concession. I put my free hand on his, as I mumbled, "Thanks."

I knew just how difficult it was for him to let me do this, that all of his instincts went against this – putting me in what he deemed to be danger. A grateful smile lit up my face and I just wanted to lean up to give him a small peg on his lips to thank him with more than simple words for what he was doing for me, when someone behind me cleared his throat. Startled, I whirled around, out of Edward's loosened grasp, stake raised out of instincts I hadn't known I possessed until now, just to find out immediately after that we weren't about to be attacked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to attack you." My face heated up at once - I was sure that my cheeks were now a deep red color - and I lowered the stake quickly, when I realized that it was Xander and Willow standing just a few yards in front of me. I frowned. Were they maybe Edward's reason for agreeing? Had he read something in their thoughts that had convinced him?

Much to my surprise, Xander chuckled, clearly amused. "Ah, don't apologize. Will and I should know by now that we shouldn't sneak up on a Slayer."

Ignoring Edward's quiet growl behind me, when Xander mentioned the word 'Slayer', I shook my head. "Even if you don't accept my apology for almost… staking you, you should accept my apology, also on Edward's behalf, for leaving so abruptly. It was rude and we shouldn't have done that."

"No Bella," Willow disagreed, her voice low, almost too careful. It was obvious from the longer pause and the thoughtful look on her face that she was weighing her words before speaking. "It is us who should apologize. I think we were going too fast, with just dropping this bombshell on you. I admit that we've only just begun rounding up all the girls who have become Slayers and that we don't quite know yet how to approach the girls. Your reaction, both of yourself and your fiancé, is more than understandable."

"What she said," Xander grinned slightly. "As a matter of fact, I'm impressed by how well you handle all this. We've already had a few girls who've run away screaming. You're definitely stronger than I thought."

I returned the grin. "Thanks. But I'm not the running and screaming type of girl."

My comment earned a quiet snicker from Edward, who knew by now all too well that I was not scared that easily. But sometimes I wonder, if he was still waiting for this reaction, for the day when I would realize that this whole world was too scary after all and that I wanted out. Well, apparently, even if I should ever decide – which would never happen anyway – that I wanted out, it was now impossible. It was sooner than expected, and also in a different way, but I was now a part of this world.

Which brought me back to the matter at hand and to the decision I had made. After having taken a deep breath, I declared, "As a matter of fact, I'm ready to find out what it means to be a Slayer. At least, what it means to kill a vampire. Even if I should stick to my decision to stay out of this business, I need to know my opponent, if they are drawn to me like you said." I gripped the stake tighter in my right hand. "I need to fight one… and kill one."

"Bella!" Edward hissed, outraged. He stepped around me and grabbed both of my upper arms with his cool hands again.

I looked up at him, my eyes fierce with determination. "No, Edward. You agreed."

"Not. To. This."

"You agreed that you would let me prove my theory. I didn't specify how, but this is how I want to do it. To believe that they exist, we have to see one." I gently covered one of his hands with my free hand, as I mumbled, quiet enough so that only he would hear it, "Don't worry, Edward. I'll be safe. You'll be there, after all."

He looked at me for a long moment, before he turned around to face Xander and Willow, and asked, "How great is the risk to Bella, if we went out to find one of your _vampires_ now?"

"She won't be in danger," Xander assured him. "Willow and I have been fighting vampires alongside the Slayer for several years now. We know how to deal with them, and even if their number is too great for us, Willow can take care of it."

Another moment passed, but finally, Edward nodded. "Where do we find them?"

"Xander and I have scouted the area yesterday, and there were a few vampires down near the warehouses," Willow told us, and to be completely honest, I was surprised. Other vampires here in Port Angeles? I had expected that we would have to go to Seattle to find one. If they were so close to our home, how come none of the Cullens had ever met them? "If you want to, we could go there now and patrol the area. I'm pretty sure that, if you really want to, you'll slay your first vampire tonight, Bella."

I gripped my stake tighter and nodded. "I'm ready." Edward took my other hand into his and I looked up to find him studying me intensely. "I'm ready," I repeated for him, hoping that my voice didn't betray the nervousness I was suddenly beginning to feel. Squeezing my hand, Edward flashed me my favorite crooked grin, which hopefully meant that he wasn't too angry anymore. But maybe he was just doing this because he smelled the nervousness in my scent or something like that. Stupid vampire senses. So, smiling up at him, I said, one more time, "I'm ready."

Tearing his eyes away from mine, Edward turned back to Xander and Willow. "It's a few minutes' drive to that part of Port Angeles," he informed them, his voice smooth and controlled. But I still had to suppress a small grin at his estimation. It would be a few minutes' drive for people who were abiding the law, which Edward never did. "If you don't want to drive yourself, you may come with Bella and me." He motioned to the Volvo and without saying another word, turned on the spot and walked to his car, gently tugging me along.

I saw Willow and Xander exchange a quick glance, before following us. I gave them an apologetic smile, hoping that this would somehow make up for Edward's rude behavior, but as they had already said, they understood it. Then, turning back to Edward, I hissed quietly, "What are you doing?"

"I won't let them out of my sight," he replied in a whisper so low that I almost couldn't hear him. "Not until I've figured out what is really going on here."

We had reached the Volvo by then and after having opened my door for me, he walked around the car in human speed and got into the car himself. The engine was already purring by the time Xander and Willow climbed into the backseats and as soon as their door were closed, Edward had already pulled out of the parking lot and was driving down the street. For once, he was going just as fast as he was allowed to. This was definitely a first.

And because of this, it really took us a few minutes until we reached the shabbier part of town. A few minutes loaded with heavy silence, as none of us spoke. I tried not to think about what I was about to do, as this would only strengthen the nervousness I was already feeling. Me? Killing vampires? I must be insane! Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, unbidden, memories rose inside of me as soon as I spotted the first somber-colored warehouses. Out of the corners of my eyes I also noticed Edward's hands tense on the steering wheel and I guessed that the same memories were haunting him. This night bore so many similarities to that first night here in Port Angeles – the revelations, the danger. It was almost creepy.

Finally, Edward stopped the car before we arrived in the really bad part of Port Angeles. "From now on, we will walk," Edward told them, as he unstrapped his seat belt, before helping me get rid of mine, and got out of the car. Seeing as he had to move at human speed, I was able to leave the car before he got around to open my door, which was also a first. I grinned at him, as he reached my door, but my grin was immediately replaced by a look of determination, as I saw Xander and Willow stand next to the Volvo. "I believe you will agree that we will be more likely to find a… vampire, if we didn't drive around."

"Look," Xander said, looking first at Edward and then at me. "You can still back out. You don't have to do this."

"I want to," I told him. "And even more than that, I need to."

Xander nodded. "Alright. Let's go. Try to concentrate on your senses. Believe me, you will feel if there's a vampire nearby."

"Okay." My senses were already in overdrive, had already been the whole night. And that irritating tingle in the back of my mind was telling me that a vampire was already very close. Only that I knew exactly that this vampire wasn't dangerous. Pushing this tingle even further back, I concentrated hard on any other tingles. Another one was also very close and I guessed that it was either Xander or Willow. Willow most likely as they claimed that she was a witch. She must have also been that other tingle I had felt back at the restaurant.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Edward's velvet voice asked.

I swallowed once. "Let's go."

The moment of truth had arrived.

Together the four of us set off, entering the maze of warehouses and dark alleys. I kept all my senses, and especially that new sixth sense, on high alert. Willow and Xander were talking quietly, but I didn't listen to them. I felt Edward walking at my side, his worried eyes on me, and yet I didn't react to it. I was only focused on one thing – the other vampires.

My hand was wrapped tightly around my stake, enjoying that weird feeling of safety it gave me. I didn't know how to fight, except for that bit of self-defense that Charlie had taught me. The same self-defense that hadn't worked when I had been here the last time. So this stake was the only thing I had in my fight against my opponent.

I only hoped that my theory about the different kinds of vampires was right, otherwise this stake would be pretty useless.

Suddenly, I was torn out of my concentration by Edward's voice. I looked at him sharply, thinking that he might have been talking to me, but he wasn't even looking at me, but at Willow. "Earlier, your friend said that you could take care of the vampires, if there are too many. How do you plan to do that?"

"I know a spell," she answered him. "I've only found it recently, unfortunately too late for Sunnydale, but it's pretty powerful."

My interest was awakened by this unexpected turn of conversation and I wondered if Edward had done this on purpose, or if Xander and Willow simply hadn't thought of how to do this earlier. "What does the spell do?"

"It's a bit complicated," she explained, "but basically the spell attacks the minds of the vampires and makes all vampires near to me go poof. Well, okay, not all, if there are too many, but it works for about seven or eight vampires at once and it also depends on how close they are standing to me."

"Go… poof?" I asked confused.

"Yeah," she nodded eagerly, happy to see me interested I guess. "They burn up, from the inside."

My insides froze upon hearing this, but I didn't have time to think about the implications, as suddenly the tingle in the back of my mind went haywire. I stopped dead in my tracks and whirled around.

"Bella?" Edward asked, confused.

"I can feel them," I simply replied and sure enough, not even a second later, two figures, two men, were rounding the corner behind us. They looked human, but my new senses clearly told me that they weren't. But as they stepped closer, I realized that they didn't look like vampires either, at least not like the vampires I knew. They weren't as unearthly beautiful as the Cullens, as a matter of fact, one of them was pretty ugly. And they were also not nearly as graceful. If these guys really were vampires, my theory seemed to be correct.

As they were coming closer, I felt Willow and Xander retreat, but before he left, Xander said once more, "Remember. Stake through the heart, never lose your weapon and don't get killed."

"Edward, please go with them."

"Bella?" he asked, shocked.

"Please, Edward. Go. I need to do this alone."

It took about a second, but eventually he left my side as well. But suddenly, without him being there, I felt vulnerable. Edward had protected me for so long, had saved me from so many dangers, but now it was up to me. I took a step forward, and another one. I forced myself to remain calm and strangely enough, the closer I got to the two vampires, the calmer I became. Just as I had the last time, I went through the different self-defense moves in my head.

And then they were there.

I tried to hide the stake behind the length of my arm, hoping to be able to surprise them, or to get out of this without embarrassing myself too much, should those two be just two normal human men. I didn't stop, wondering if they would stop me, if I just walked passed them, but I didn't have to wonder long. I had almost reached them, when one of them spoke.

"Ah, Kenny, your nose didn't betray you after all," the taller of the two said. "There really was a delicious smell in this alley."

The shorter one chuckled. "I would say I told you so, but… ah, well, I told you so."

I had to resist rolling my eyes. Fantastic, now I also smelled good to them? Couldn't there be some vampires who were disgusted by my scent? And then, unexpectedly, they changed. Their faces morphed, muscles and bones moved, revealing golden eyes and fangs. I had never seen a creature more hideous than them.

I knew that any normal girl would scream, but I wasn't normal by any standards. I hung around vampires and werewolves, I had faced murderous nomads and the Volturi, and lived to tell the tale. For one short moment I thought triumphantly that I had been right. There was more than one kind of vampire!

Encouraged by this revelation, I felt more confident now. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I thought I should make it clear that no matter I good I smell, I won't be your dinner tonight." I finally revealed my stake, making their eyes go wide.

"Slayer…" the taller one hissed, and without hesitating another moment, jumped at me.

My instincts told me to dodge and that's what I did. I sidestepped him and at the same moment, my right arm lunged forward and buried the stake in his exposed chest. Just as Xander had advised, I didn't let go off the stake and pulled it out instead. Just a split second later, a cloud of dust exploded around me and the vampire was gone. "Wow…"

However, I quickly had to get over my awe at what I had done, as the other one apparently didn't take too kindly to the demise of his friend. I had to jump back to dodge an attack and then brought up my arm to block another. I was acting purely on instincts and hoped that it would be enough. This one seemed to be a bit more experienced than the other, or maybe I had just taken the other one by surprise.

It went on like this for a few more attacks, me either dodging or blocking, all the time looking for an opening that I could use to stake him. But suddenly the tables turned, as my senses suddenly screamed at me that there were more. And my senses were right, I noticed shocked, as two more vampires hurried into the clearing. Two more were definitely two too many.

Sharp pain exploded in my stomach, as the vampire embedded his hard boot in my stomach, and immediately after, a loud crack sounded through the alley, as the back of my head collided with a stone wall. I winced sharply, only vaguely aware that it didn't hurt as much as it should have hurt if I were still a normal human girl, but this distraction was already long enough for the vampire to appear in front of me again.

Miraculously I was still holding the stake in my hand and was just about to launch a surprise attack, when I heard it. A female voice, mumbling something that sounded very much like Latin. My brain made the connection just a second later. Willow. The spell. "No," I whispered, panic ripping through me. Edward. I had to do something. I had to protect Edward.

I completely forgot about the vampire in front of me, or about the other two vampires. My only goal was now that I had to stop Willow from performing her spell. I closed my eyes, bracing myself against the pain that was already tearing through me, as I tried to get up. I needed to get to her, tell her to stop. But I didn't get far, as I was suddenly showered with dust and then pulled against a cold and hard chest.

I relaxed immediately into this cool and protective embrace, as I realized that Edward was okay and that the other vampire tingles had all disappeared.

"I told you so," I only mumbled with a small grin.

Edward's chest vibrated with a quiet chuckle. "Yes, Bella, you told me so. But are you alright? You hit your head and you're bleeding."

My free hand reached to touch the back of my head. "Ow," I mumbled belatedly, as I felt the tender spot. My hair was a bit sticky and damp, but I could tell that it had already stopped bleeding. "I'm okay, it just hurts a bit. Help me up?"

For one moment I feared that Edward would just sweep me up in his arms, but instead he just helped me back on my feet. I swayed a bit, grateful for his supporting arms around me, and as soon as I found my equilibrium, I looked up at Xander and Willow, who were both staring at Edward and me with wide eyes. No, they were just staring at Edward.

"Holy moly," Xander muttered, the shock evident in his voice. "Just what the hell was that?"

"What?" I asked confused, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"They wonder how I could have moved and ripped off the heads of the three vampires so fast that they could barely see it with their eyes," Edward explained to me.

I whirled around, glowering at him. How could he have done that? The most important rule in the vampire world was to keep the secret and yet he had, once again for my protection, revealed that he was more than human! "You did what? But I thought… the spell. I heard Latin and I thought…"

Willow's confused voice tore my gaze again away from Edward. "You're right, I tried to do the spell… But somehow, it didn't work. And as soon as I realized that, Edward was off and the vampires dust. It all happened so fast. I don't think I've ever seen anyone move at that speed, and killing the vamps also seemed so effortless. And believe me, I've already seen a lot."

"We've both seen a lot," Xander agreed. He seemed to have gotten over most of the shock and appeared more wary now and I suddenly noticed that he also holding something in his right hand. A short blade glinted in the light thrown into the small alley. "And from what I've just witnessed I can clearly say that you are not human. So, what are you?"

Edward sighed quietly and exasperatedly. "You might not believe me, when I tell you."

"Why won't you let Willow and me be the judge of that?"

Edward's jaw clenched and I could see that he didn't want to say it. Just like the last time he had done something so… careless. Stupid vampire. And just like the last time, there was no other way than to reveal the truth, only that Edward once again didn't see it that way. So, for once I made a decision for him, as I said, "Edward's a vampire."


	7. Old Ones

**A/N: First of all a big thank you for all those nice reviews! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, but I've so much work in RL that I barely get around to writing. I even just got this chapter done, because I took this weekend off from writing my MA-thesis or doing other things for university. But as you see, this chapter is an extra long one ^^, about 8.000 words. **

**So, go on reading and enjoy!**

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**Old Ones**

Edward's quiet groan was the only noise that penetrated the sudden and unexpected silence that met my declaration. My whole body had immediately tensed after I had given away his secret, ready to defend him if necessary. I knew that it was a bit ridiculous, seeing as Edward was still stronger than I, but my heart told me to jump in the middle of the attack and protect my soulmate. But nothing happened. No one moved and I was starting to get nervous.

Why weren't they doing anything? I had just told them that my fiancé was a vampire and yet they were just standing there and not doing anything at all. Except for staring at us.

Suddenly, from one second to another, almost as if what I had said was first now processed in his brain, a look of pure shock and disbelief crossed over Xander's face. "You're kidding, right? Please, tell me you're kidding."

If the situation weren't as serious, I would have thought it funny how Xander was almost begging me to take my words back and tell them that this was just a joke. But as it was, I couldn't make head or tail of his reaction. And the little amused smile that appeared to be tugging at Willow's lips didn't make the whole situation better. Shouldn't they be angry, or trying to get me away from Edward? Shouldn't they be attacking him?

"Bella's not kidding," Edward eventually said and I could swear that I saw the beginnings of an amused grin on his otherwise emotionless face. For a split second I wondered what Willow and Xander were thinking, especially Xander. However, the beginnings of this grin disappeared just as quickly as they had come, as he stared directly at them. "I am a vampire."

"But he's a good vampire!" I quickly threw in. I knew that I had begun to dig his proverbial grave, but did he have to dig deeper without telling them the most important thing? "He's different! He's a vegetarian… I mean he- he only drinks animal blood… and he… he sparkles in the sunlight!" Very elaborate, Bella, I berated myself, stopping myself before I could ramble on.

"He… sparkles?" Xander raised an eyebrow, as he appraised Edward. He squinted a bit with his one eye. Did he try to see the sparkles in the dim light of the street lamp? And why was he even worried about Edward sparkling? Had they already forgotten the fact that Edward was a vampire? They weren't attacking and Xander even put his weapon back into the sheath at his belt, which I hadn't noticed until now.

Edward must have noticed that I was getting more agitated with each passing second, as he suddenly pulled me tightly against his chest. "Breathe, Bella," he mumbled softly into my hair. I obeyed and breathed deeply, once, twice, and noticed how most of the tension began to seep away. If it was because of the new oxygen in my lungs or because of Edward's presence, I didn't know. "And now, please listen… As strange as it sounds, they believe us. All of it. Except maybe for the sparkling part."

I carefully pulled a few inches away from him, so that I could turn to look over my shoulder to Xander and Willow. "How?"

Removing one of his hands from my arms, he tipped against his temple. "There aren't many people here, which means not so much background noise, so…"

"Willow could read your mind," I concluded. This made some sense, even though I still doubted, if they truly didn't regard Edward as a threat.

"We had a little conversation, while you were freaking out," Willow admitted with an apologetic grin on her face. "I must say it's amazing to communicate with someone who can read your mind and hear every single thought you have. Not to mention hearing Xander's thoughts at the same time, even though I'm not trying to talk to him. Anyways, your lovely fiancé has told me the same as you tried to tell us, only a bit more… detailed, if I may say so. And yes, Xander, he really sparkles. As does his whole family."

"Whoa, wait a sec, Will. I know you had this really amazing conversation with Sparkly Dead Boy over there, but care to fill the non-mind readers in? What about his family?"

"I live in a family… in a coven you would say, together with others of my kind. All except two of us have been created by the same vampire. The other two joined us at a later date."

"And you all sparkle?" Xander asked, still sounding slightly doubtful.

"Yes," Edward answered, with a humorous tone in his voice.

"And you only drink animal blood?"

"Yes," Edward answered again. "We usually hunt deer or other animals in the woods, also bigger game, when we're further from home."

"And you have a soul?"

Edward hesitated with answering this time, so I stepped in immediately and said, meaning it with all of my heart, "Yes, he does. They all do."

I looked up to see Edward gaze down at me with wonder and love, and also a bit of annoyance in his eyes. I took his cold hand into my warm one and squeezed it tightly in reassurance. I knew that he still thought that I was crazy for believing this, but someday, I swore, I would convince him that he had a soul. But for now, it was enough if our two guests believed it.

So, not once averting my eyes from our locked gazes, I continued, "Edward and his family are completely different from the vampires you told us about… the ones I've just fought. There's not a demon living in their bodies. They're still the same persons from when they had been human, only much less breakable and they drink blood now. Actually, that blood-thing is about the only thing they have in common with your vampires. The Cullens are good people, too good to not have a soul."

"Aaand, there's no happiness clause?"

"Xander!" Willow scolded him and slapped his arm.

"Sorry!" he yelled defensively, rubbing his arm. "Just making sure!"

"Happiness clause?" I asked, once again stunned by their behavior. It was just too confusing that they didn't react at all how I had expected them to react to the revelations of this night.

Much to my surprise, Edward lowered his head slightly and whispered, "You don't want to know."

I still wanted to know what Xander meant by this, especially now considering Edward's mysterious comment. Why didn't I want to know? If Edward said something like that, it surely meant that it was something that I, in my opinion, needed to know. Or at least should know about. But I didn't fight him on this, for now. If he didn't want to tell me at a later point, I would simply ask Xander.

"So, what should we do now?" I asked, looking from Edward to the two people who had turned my life upside down. I immediately noticed the look Edward exchanged with Willow and just knew that they were again talking to each other. Xander seemed to have noticed it as well, because he just winked at me with a grin and shrugged. Apparently, conversations like this one weren't that uncommon where they came from.

Still grinning, he quickly said, "Willow, I'm sure that you really enjoy using your witchy abilities to talk with Sparkly Dead Boy, but the mere mortals here would like to hear what you're discussing."

"Oh, sorry…" the redhead blushed slightly, as she and Edward finally ended their conversation.

"Really, Will," Xander said, shaking his head, as he put an arm around her shoulder. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you are flirting with a man who's about to be married."

I finally also allowed a small grin on my face, even though I was still nervous and tense about this whole situation. Especially seeing as they still hadn't answered my question. Almost as if he could read my mind, Edward finally told Xander and me what we wanted to know.

"Miss Rosenberg and I decided that we should continue this conversation elsewhere. This alley certainly isn't the right place to talk about this."

"And where should we go? Back to the restaurant?" I asked him. "Or to their hotel?"

"None of those places, Bella. We're going to Forks, to..."

"Whoa, wait!" Xander exclaimed, before Edward could finish his sentence. Turning again to Willow, he said, "What do you mean we go to Forks? Why don't we go back to the hotel?"

"B-because I really think that we should meet his family. I mean, it seems that we have just discovered a whole new breed of vampires! This is truly fascinating and I'd really like to talk to the rest of his family and I'm sure that Giles would also be eager to hear about this right from the source and—"

Suddenly, Willow was broken off, as Xander clasped his hand over her mouth. I could see Willow's eyes sparkle dangerously, as she glared at Xander, but he just shrugged again and told her with a cheeky tone to his voice, "Will, you were rambling again."

"Oops," she muttered meekly, after Xander had again removed his hand from her lips.

And then she turned back to us with an apologetic smile on her blushing face, a smile which I couldn't help but return. At this moment I had a hard time to believe that those two people were real. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that they accepted Edward and what he was just like that, just taking our word for it.

Maybe it was really all just a dream, or a really bad joke. My eyes quickly darted to the darkest corner of the alley to make sure that there wasn't a hidden camera. No camera. That only left the other option. In a moment, I was going to wake up wrapped up in cold arms and nothing of the past two days had happened. I wasn't a Slayer, I hadn't told virtually strangers the Cullen's secret and most importantly, there would be no shiny black Mercedes in Charlie's driveway, but my trusty old truck.

"Sorry, but this happens quite often, when I'm really excited, and I don't think that, except for closing the Hellmouth, awakening all potential Slayers, defeating an army of ubervamps and beginning to round up all the new Slayers and building the new Council, much exciting stuff has happened to us recently. And now I'm just rambling again. Why don't you just stop me? And I'm shutting up now." This statement, she accompanied with raising her right hand and zipping her mouth shut.

And this was the last straw. I couldn't help it. I began to laugh. Hard. So hard that I had to wrap my arms around my stomach to keep me from doubling over. Of course, I immediately felt Edward's cold and strong grip holding me upright, clutching me to his marble chest, as my whole body trembled with laughter. They were surely thinking that I had snapped. And maybe they were right. A human being could, after all, only stand so much stress. Maybe it had finally been enough for my poor human body and soul. It seems that even I, who had accepted just about everything this supernatural world had thrown at me without much of a fuss, just couldn't take everything without becoming crazy.

Waking up now really wouldn't be too bad.

"Bella!" Edward's voice was slightly panicked, but enough to pull me back to reality, and I heard footsteps coming up to us between the bursts of laughter coming from my throat. "Are you alright?"

"'M fine," I managed to mumble. "It's just too funny…"

"What is so funny Bella?" Having heard me say that I was fine seemed to have calmed him a bit, as the panic had almost disappeared from his voice. Well, at least I wasn't crying this time, so that was a plus, even though some tears were rolling down my cheeks. But those were tears of laughter.

"Everything…" I took a deep breath, hoping to suppress the bursts that still wanted to erupt. "And at the same time nothing… I can't explain." Another deep breath. Get a grip Bella, or they'll have you admitted for sure! One more deep breath. I felt my body relax and the laughter in my throat finally die.

Inwardly shaking my head, I realized how insane this must have looked. The second nervous breakdown in just as many days, and honestly, I had no idea which I preferred. Destroying the shower or giving in to hysterical and insane laughter? But there was one thing of which I was sure – I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted to be sure that Willow and Xander really meant no harm to the Cullens. I wanted them to leave so that I could return to my life.

Immediately another feeling rose up within me, and I could feel the sob rise with this feeling. However, before the sob had the chance to break through, I swallowed it. Instead, just a few more tears escaped my eyes. I had no time for another breakdown, not now. I had to keep myself from falling apart again just for a little longer, until we were all sure, that the Cullens, my family, weren't in danger.

When I finally thought that I had regained my composure, I wiped the tears away from my cheeks and turned halfway around in Edward's arms, so that I was facing all of them. Now feeling that it was me who had to apologize for my behavior, I said to all three of them, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. So let's just call this a Random Moment of Insanity and forget about it, okay?"

"Are you sure, you're alright?" Edward asked worriedly, holding me even closer if possible. I had to resist the strong urge to just melt into his embrace and let it all go. "Maybe we should postpone this conversation until tomorrow, when you've gotten some rest."

"Yeah, Bella," Xander nodded in agreement. "We can understand, if you need some more time, and we can really wait until tomorrow. Can't we, Will?" Willow looked clearly disappointed about probably having to wait until she could satisfy her curiosity about Edward and his family, but she tried to hide it, as she, too, nodded.

"No, no…" Shaking my head, I said, "I'm really fine. _Really_. You've answered all of my questions, now it's only fair that you get the answers to yours. I'm too wired to go to sleep anyway, so we can get this over with." In fact, even though I spoke the truth, when I said that I couldn't possibly sleep because of all this excitement, I was also still a bit worried by their unexpected reaction. I was scared that they would call an army of Slayers to Forks, when our backs were turned, and killed my family. I knew that it was a bit illogical, seeing as Edward probably would have heard those thoughts, but I just couldn't help it. It really would be better, if we managed to really convince them that the Cullens were harmless, before we let them go again. I inwardly shook my head. It almost sounded like we wanted to take them hostage.

"We should use both cars," Edward suddenly said. My head jerked up and I saw him looking at Xander, who himself looked a bit startled. Apparently Edward had just answered to one of Xander's thoughts. "So that you have the means to go back, when we're finished with our conversation. But… I hope you understand that I'm not completely comfortable with you two driving alone."

"Of course. I guess we would feel the same, if we were in your place."

Edward nodded his thanks at Xander for understanding. I almost sighed in relief, realizing that Edward's thoughts mirrored my own. "Maybe we could split up," I suggested, even though I knew that Edward wouldn't like it one bit. Me moving from his side in this situation surely must be unthinkable for him. But I didn't see another choice. "I could ride with Xander in their car, while you and Willow take the Volvo."

"Absolutely not!" Just as I had expected, Edward didn't like my idea. He looked down at me with stormy and almost furious eyes, but I stood my ground.

"Do you have any other suggestions? You don't want to let them go alone, which they understand, but you also want to take both cars."

"Bella…"

"Don't you Bella me." I nearly snarled in annoyance, but then sighed, as my voice softened because of the hurt look in his eyes. I raised the hand which he wasn't holding and wiped a lock of his bronze hair out of his eyes. "I can take care of myself. If you look at it logically, Willow's more dangerous than Xander. She's a witch, but he's just human. I can stop him, if he tries something."

Edward opened his mouth again, just as the theme song for Disney's Alice in Wonderland suddenly came from the front pocket of my jeans. Before I could even reach for my cell phone, Edward had already pulled it out of my pocket and was holding it at his ear.

"What, Alice?" He was silent for a short moment, before he snapped the phone shut and gave it back to me. I took it and put it back into my pocket, as he sighed. "Alright. Alice says it's going to be okay."

"Never bet against Alice," I quipped, eliciting a small smile from his lips. "Okay, so your family knows we're coming."

"They know everything and they want to meet our guests."

"Okay, then I'd say we should go. The night isn't getting any younger." At least not for us mere humans. Even though I wasn't ready to sleep yet, I still felt some of the exhaustion began to creep up on me, and I knew that the conversation that awaited us at the Cullens' house could be a very long one.

Willow and Xander agreed quickly, and so we made our way back to where Edward had parked the Volvo. His arm was wrapped tightly around my shoulder, pressing me close against his side. Sighing, I leaned fully into his embrace and closed my eyes for a moment, trusting Edward to lead me and to catch me, should I stumble. Inhaling his sweet scent and feeling his strong arm around my shoulder allowed me to relax for a moment and to pretend that we were home already and that everything was over.

However, we reached the Volvo all too soon to get completely lost in my little fantasy and it was not even a minute after we had all gotten into the car in silence, that Edward suddenly spoke again, "Yes, I think you should call him."

"Who?" I asked confused and also again a bit annoyed. Why couldn't they just talk like normal people did?

"Our Head Watcher, Rupert Giles," Willow explained. "He's been Buffy's Watcher for seven years and has now taken over the New Watcher's Council. And I believe that he's the most knowledgeable in the Council concerning the supernatural at the moment. Maybe he can shed some light on our situation."

While Edward seemed to agree with her, I, however, was more doubtful. And I finally voiced my doubts. "And who's telling me that he won't come here with an army of Slayers to kill the Cullens?"

"Bella," Xander said quietly, but firmly behind me. "I give you my word that your family won't be harmed in any way. You've reassured us that they are good… people. And we believe you, until they somehow prove to be otherwise. Innocent until proven guilty. We'll stand by that. So, no Slayer army, I promise."

I turned around in my seat and looked at him directly. The dim light in the car certainly wasn't enough to see his face, but the one split second that the light of a streetlamp fell on his face, I could see the sincerity of his words in his one eye. Finally, after one long look at him, I nodded. "Okay… Call him."

Immediately after I had said this, Xander gave me a grateful grin and took a cell phone out of the pocket of his jacket and pressed a few buttons, before lifting it to his ear. It took just a few seconds, for the other side to answer. "Giles? It's me, Xander. Yes, we're still in Port Angeles. Listen… the reason I'm calling… I know that there's another girl in Seattle, but listen first… Something… unexpected has happened here. It seems that Bella… the Swan-girl, Giles, the one from Forks? Well, it seems that she has already known about the supernatural before we even spoke to her… I know that she didn't say anything about this in our first conversation, but her reasons for this are quite understandable. Actually, I don't think we would even know about this now, if there hadn't been this little incident during her first Slay… Ah, just that her boyfriend has ripped off the heads of every single vampire in that alley and that they both say that he's a vampire himself."

Xander was silent for a long moment afterwards and I was sitting in the car, my whole body again completely tense. Edward being Edward noticed this of course at once and made soothing motions with his thumb on my left hand. It helped a bit, but still I didn't believe what I had just heard. Those guys didn't make any sense! How could he just drop this bombshell that Edward was a vampire on the phone?

"Yes, a vampire," Xander finally said, his voice showing some amusement. "But you'll never guess… He's got a soul and only drinks animal blood. Oh, and he doesn't burn in the sunlight, but sparkles." This, Xander said with a wink in my direction. "You heard right, he sparkles. Well G-Man, it seems that we have just found us a completely new breed of vampires. Yes, there are more, seven to be precise, and right now we're going to their place to talk about everything. And that's actually the reason for my call. Will and I thought it best, and Sparkly Dead Boy agrees with us, that you be there as well. Maybe you can already shed some light on this situation. I know you couldn't resist. So, get the Dawnster ready and we'll call, when you can come. See ya later!"

Xander ended the call just as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Somehow, I had hoped that we would already get some answers now, but instead, I had many more questions. The most important ones being: Did this Watcher know something about the Cullens? What is a 'Dawnster'? And how could the Watcher come to the Cullens at such a short notice? Was he close by? Maybe even in Forks? But this didn't make any sense.

"Bella, are you sure you want to do this?" Edward's voice tore me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even noticed that Xander and Willow had gotten out of the car and that both were waiting – Xander for me to join him and Willow to get into the passenger seat, which I was currently occupying.

I nodded resolutely. "I am. Don't worry, Edward. Everything will be alright." I leaned forward and brushed my lips shortly against his. "Oh, and please, don't drive like a maniac," I added with a grin, as I got out of the car. Edward's musical chuckles followed me, until I was standing next to the rental from Willow and Xander.

"You ready?" Xander grinned at me. His voice was light, apparently to ease any fears I might have of driving with him.

I, however, simply grinned back, as I got into the passenger seat of the rental. "The question should be: are you ready? I warn you, Edward might not abide by the speed limits."

"But he doesn't run over the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, when we reach the town, does he?" As I just raised an eyebrow at this once again very weird question, Xander just shook his head and started the engine. "Forget I ever asked that."

Edward pulled out of the parking lot in front of us and immediately sped off. I shot a look at Xander, almost as if saying 'I told you so', but caught up with Edward at the next traffic light and once that one was green, I was very surprised to realize that my '100mph-is-still-too-slow-vampire' wasn't driving faster than he was allowed. "Now, that's a first…" I mumbled to myself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing… it's just… I think it's really the first time that Edward's driving so slowly." I shook my head. "But what were you saying about driving over Fork's welcome sign?"

Xander laughed, but never took his eye from the road, as he asked, "Didn't I tell you to forget that question? Okay, Spike – he was one of the two vampires with a soul – had the habit of running over the Welcome to Sunnydale sign, whenever he came into town."

"Ah, I see," I only answered. Somehow, the more time I spent with those people, the more confused I became. I shook my head slightly, unnoticed in the darkness of the car, deciding that it wouldn't do me any good to brood about this any longer. The only way to get through this with my sanity still intact was to tackle one thing at a time and the next thing would be the confrontation of Willow and Xander with the rest of the Cullens.

We rode for a few minutes in complete silence. The silence was a bit strained, with Xander just staring at the road and trying to stay directly behind Edward, who was still driving like a normal, law-abiding person. I small grin began to tug at my lips, as I thought about how agonizingly slow this must be for him. At the same time, I still had so many questions, but I didn't know, if I could or should ask them.

A sudden noise to my left broke the silence. I started slightly, as Xander had cleared the throat, having been too deeply lost in my thoughts for the past few minutes. "Uhm… Willow just told me that Edward had told her that you should call a guy called Sam. He and some of his friends should apparently come to their house, too."

"Of course!" I immediately pulled out my phone. Edward was right. I had promised Jake and the pack that I would tell them everything, as soon as I knew more, and was there a better opportunity than this, having the two persons who had told me about my change at the Cullens' house? No, there wasn't. However, before I dialed the number, I hesitated. "Uh, can you please ask Willow to ask Edward about the treaty?" This was so stupid. Why didn't I just call Edward myself?

"He says it's okay. They won't break the treaty by coming over." Xander's voice sounded confused, but I just nodded, as I finally dialed the number. It took a few seconds until I heard a sleepy "Hello?" on the other side. It was Emily.

"Hey Emily," I said quickly. "This is Bella. I'd like to speak to Sam."

"Of course, just a second."

My heart was beating wildly against my chest. I hadn't spoken to Sam for quite some time, with my only contact to the wolves having been Seth. And I wasn't really sure what he made of my sudden changes, which were in no way of vampiric nature.

"Hello, Bella?" Sam's deep voice was suddenly on the other end.

"Hey Sam… I'm calling about… what happened to me. I'm on my way to the Cullens now, with two of the persons who are… responsible for this. Edward suggested that you and maybe some of the others should come, too."

"The treaty?" he asked warily.

"Won't be broken by your coming to the house," I promised.

"Okay, when will you be there?"

I looked at the clock on the dashboard and estimated how long we'd already been driving. "About half an hour."

"We'll be there," he told me.

I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sam…" However, before either of us could hang up, another thought hit me. I bit on my lower lip, before quickly saying, "Please, tell Jake… that he should come too… He doesn't need to come into the house, but he should hear it at least."

"Don't worry, Bella… I'll tell him. Bye."

The line was dead before I could answer and I sagged a bit deeper into the seat of the car. This was truly about to get interesting. But it had been the right thing to do.

"Sooo," Xander said eventually after another longer period of silence. "Who's this Sam? And Jake?"

"Sam's a… friend and Jake… he's…" my sun, my best friend, my best man. "…another very good friend." I felt the part of my heart that belonged to Jake ache, so, to change the subject, I quickly asked another question that had been on my chest the whole time. "So, what was this happiness clause you mentioned earlier?"

"It's another longer story, actually," Xander grinned, but this grin didn't reach his eye. "And I had gotten the impression that your dear fiancé doesn't want you to know."

Crossing my arms defiantly over my chest, I replied, "Sometimes Edward wants to protect me from things I don't need protecting from. I guess this is just one of those things, am I right?"

"It depends on the perspective, but I think you'll get to hear this story anyway, so I don't think it would hurt much if I told you now. The happiness clause is connected to the first vampire with a soul, Angel. Or Dead Boy, as I like to call him," he told me, still grinning. His eye, however, was still completely serious, as he told me the story. "Angel was once known as Angelus, one of the most fearsome vampires ever, until he was cursed with a soul by some gypsies. But this curse had a loophole. He was meant to suffer, so when he experienced one moment of true happiness, he lost his soul and turned again into Angelus. In the end, Willow managed to restore his soul, but the few months, when he had been Angelus, weren't pretty ones."

Xander's voice was grave, as he spoke about Angelus, full of hate. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know just what exactly this Angelus, or Angel as he is probably known again now, had done to him and his friends, but I could imagine that it was something I never wanted to experience. "What was it?" I asked him. "This moment of true happiness?"

Turning his head slightly towards me and only taking his eye off the road for a split second, he just replied, "What do you think this moment of true happiness could have been?"

For a moment I just looked at him incredulously, until it suddenly all made sense. "Oh!" I felt my face heat up and was suddenly glad that it was dark in the car. One moment of true happiness. How could I have been so stupid? "Oh…"

"You know," he then said with a wink. "You're not the first Slayer who's fallen in love with a vampire. Our dear Buffy and Angel have been the first ones, as far as I know, and when they, you know, it happened. His one moment of true happiness. But your sparkly fiancé still seems to have his soul, so no loophole."

If it were possible, my face grew even hotter and redder. I just knew that by now a tomato looked pale next to me. "Well… I mean… Edward's… he wants to protect my virtue… so we haven't… yet. Though not for lack of trying on my part!" I quickly defended. Oh god, why wouldn't the ground open up underneath me and swallow me? And could someone also please sew my lips together while we were at it?

"He's gotta have a lot of self-control," Xander mumbled with an admiring tone in his voice. "I mean, if I were in his place, I certainly wouldn't say no, if a pretty young woman like you threw herself at me."

I grinned, glad that he didn't make fun of me and my still intact virtue, even though his indirect compliment caused the slowly fading blush to return at full force. But he was right about Edward's self-control, only that this included much more than me throwing myself at him. "You have no idea."

Still, I wondered what had happened to Buffy and Angel. Were they still together, two star-crossed lovers, just like Edward and I? One growing old, while the other stayed the same until eternity? Just that I was willing, more than willing, to become one of them, a vampire. But I knew that I would stay mostly the same after the change. I realized that Buffy had never had that choice – she knew that she'd become a soulless demon, should she ever be changed. My heart reached out for her, knowing that their love most likely hadn't survived.

Then, all of a sudden, I had an epiphany. Some of their reactions made sense now with that new knowledge. "But wait! That's why you and Willow were both so amused, when I told you that Edward was a vampire! You've been thinking about how once again a Slayer has fallen in love with a vampire."

"You got it right on one," Xander told me with a wink, but then shook his head slightly in mock defeat. "Once in a blue moon…"

I chuckled at the defeated tone of his voice, which brought a small smile to his lips. Once in a blue moon was just the right term for it. I wondered, how often it really happened that a human, and on top of that, a Slayer, loved a vampire. Until recently it couldn't have been that often, with there just being one Slayer, but now with there being many Slayers, maybe even hundreds, the chance was more likely. But I didn't think I should tell Xander that. He seemed to have a hard enough time to accept that a Slayer, namely me, wasn't just the girlfriend of a vampire, but was also betrothed to one.

We continued the ride in silence, this time a more comfortable one, even though there were still many questions I desperately wanted and needed to ask, but I realized that it would be much better, if they didn't have to repeat everything again later. At least I finally knew what this happiness clause was, even though it had been highly embarrassing for me to talk about that, and that there had been another Slayer before me, apparently _the_ Slayer, who had been in love with a vampire.

Much to my surprise, it was just a few minutes later, when we needed to turn into the dirt road leading to the Cullen's home. Xander looked at me questioningly, when Edward indicated and I just nodded at him to say that it was right. However, upon realizing that we were so close, the tension in my body began to grow again. But at the same time I was glad that I would be with Edward again in just a few minutes.

As we came to a stop in front of their house, Carlisle was already standing on the front porch, having obviously heard us from afar. "Who's this?" Xander asked, while he was killing the engine.

"That's Carlisle Cullen," I answered, my mouth being completely dry. I swallowed once. "He's the one who changed Edward and three more of his family. He's a doctor at our local hospital and he's also the most compassionate man I've ever known."

"A doctor?" Xander asked, completely stunned.

But before I could answer, the door at my side was pulled open by none other than Edward. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, as I took his hand and immediately let myself be pulled into his arms. He held me close for a few seconds, before letting me go again. "Are you okay?"

"Of course… Xander and I were just talking. I told you, you didn't need to be worried." When I looked into Edward's eyes, I saw him glaring at Xander, and smirked. "You're jealous." Immediately his eyes flashed back to mine and gazed at me like a deer caught in the headlights. "Really, Edward… So Xander said that I'm pretty, so what? He was just giving me a compliment. But I love you and I want to be only with you. There's really no need to be jealous. And now come, I'm sure Sam is already here, too."

Wrinkling his nose, Edward nodded. "He and Jared are already inside. And Jacob's close by. I can hear his thoughts."

Edward looked at me closely, as if gauging my reaction to his mentioning of Jacob. But I only nodded in acknowledgement. I didn't allow myself to think about Jake for now. Later maybe, but not now. "Then let's not keep them waiting any longer." I grasped Edward's hand in mine and turned to Willow and Xander, who were patiently waiting for us, even though both of them looked a bit worried. With a hopefully comforting smile, I motioned to Carlisle, who had careful come down the few steps. "Willow, Xander, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. For all means and purposes Edward's father. Carlisle, these are Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris."

Willow's eyes widened, as she registered my introduction. "_The_ Dr. Cullen? The one who published the article about—"

"One and the same," Carlisle interrupted her with an easy smile, as he extended his hand towards her. "The one and only time I was forced to publish something. I'm sure you realize that we have to keep a low profile and that I try to avoid publications because of that."

"Of course," Willow replied slightly dazed, as she shook his hand.

Carlisle also shook Xander's hand, who shuddered a bit at the cold, before he asked them to come inside. Edward and I followed them and I wasn't surprised to see the rest of the family plus Sam and Jared in the living room. It was also unsurprising to see the vampires stand and sit on one side and the two wolves on the other side of the room. Edward kept me in the background, as further introductions were made, and as I looked around the room and my eyes landed on the huge glass front, I thought I saw a gigantic shadow moving outside.

Jake.

It seemed that the shadow caught my gaze for a moment and I offered him a smile. I imagined that he would return it, his wolfish grin, which could always brighten my day. I felt a slight squeeze in my hand and looked up at Edward. His eyes once again showing worry, but I offered him the same smile I had already given Jake, which should tell him that I was alright.

"Okay, our Head Watcher, Rupert Giles, will be here in a moment," Willow suddenly said. I looked to her and saw that she snapped her cell phone shut. Once again I had been so lost in my thoughts that I had completely missed the introductions and, as it seemed, a phone call.

"Ooh, this will be amazing!" Alice breathed, excitedly. For a short moment, I expected her eyes to become distant, but she was only staring at Willow and Xander in wonder.

"What is it?" I asked, but Edward only chuckled lightly.

"Alice is right, this truly will be a sight to behold." Upon the confused looks everyone else was giving him, he elaborated, "She had a vision, when our visitors called their Head Watcher while we were still in Port Angeles. In just a few seconds, we will all see something we have never seen before and probably have never thought possible. Mr. Giles and a young girl will step through a portal, which will appear right over there." He motioned with his head to a spot in the room only a few feet away from everyone.

And really, just a second after he had said this, a green glow appeared there. It grew until it almost reached the ceiling and then we could see two people stepping into the living room – a man who looked to be in his early fifties and a teenage girl, not much younger than me.

"Wicked!" Emmett exclaimed, as the green glow disappeared again into nothingness.

I saw how Rosalie glared at him for this comment – as a matter of fact, her face was set in a deep scowl which I doubted had just appeared there now. She was obviously more than wary of the strangers, and also still angry at them. I caught her eyes and tried to give her a reassuring smile, upon which she just rolled her eyes and slumped down on the nearest sofa with her arms crossed firmly over her chest.

No one said anything for what seemed like a really long time, as both newcomers looked around the living room. I guess that there were more people here than they had expected and they didn't quite know how to proceed from here. The older man took off his glasses and began to clean them with a handkerchief, while the younger girl was chewing on her lower lip. I was just about to do something, anything to break this extremely uncomfortable silence, when the teenager suddenly whirled towards me with a bright grin on her face.

Nearly dancing up to me, she held out her hand, "Hi, you must be Bella. I'm Dawn."

Much too stunned by her sudden introduction, I shook her hand. "Hi Dawn." First now it hit me that she must be the 'Dawnster' Xander had been talking about. It must be some kind of nickname for her.

The grin on her face widened, if that was even possible, and she leaned in closely to whisper, much too loudly, "I've gotta say, you've got a really good taste. Your boyfriend looks yummy. Despite the fact that he's of the undead variety."

Of course, everyone in the room had heard that and watched, as my face went beet-red for the umpteenth time that night. I heard Edward chuckle next to me, as well as Carlisle, though he was trying to be discreet about it and hid his mouth behind his hand. Alice and Esme, however, didn't even hide their giggles and even Rosalie allowed a tiny smile on her face. But of course, as I should have known, Emmett broke out in loud laughter, along with Sam and Jared, and, to my surprise, Jasper.

"Oh dear Lord," the Watcher only muttered, at the same time as also Willow and Xander snickered.

This situation was truly highly embarrassing for me, but at least it had broken the ice.

Still trying to regain his composure, Carlisle's face turned serious again, as he approached the Watcher – Rupert Giles was his name, I think – and introduced himself as the head of the family. It was truly interesting to watch, because as soon as the two men had finished their introductions, with Carlisle also presenting his family and Sam and Jared as family friends, they and everyone else in the room seemed to sense that they were very much alike, almost like kindred souls.

Mr. Giles was still a bit nervous, as Carlisle led him to the couch and therewith closer to the other vampires, but he hid it well. At least the others were so considerate to give him some space. Dawn, however, just grabbed my hand and pulled me, and therewith also Edward, along to the big sofa, where she simply flopped down next to Alice, giving her a bright smile, which Alice returned happily.

Once again, I couldn't believe how much these people kept surprising me with their rather atypical behavior.

"I, uh, believe you realize that this situation is rather uncommon," Mr. Giles eventually said, after all of us had settled down. The glasses, which he had put back on his nose sometime during the rather embarrassing exchange between Dawn and me, were once again in his hand and rubbed with the handkerchief. "Visiting the homes of vampires is highly unusual, even for us. And I daresay even reckless, seeing as we only have the word of a new Slayer that you mean us no harm."

"I understand your worries, Mr. Giles," Carlisle said calmly. "But I can only assure you again that neither you nor your charges are in danger."

"And I believe you."

Stunned silence followed that statement, and everyone stared at Mr. Giles, even Willow and Xander. Dawn, however, only grinned, much to my confusion. Apparently she knew more than Willow and Xander, despite her young age.

Still, it was only a few seconds before the silence was broken again, as Edward suddenly spoke up, "Please, go on, Mr. Giles. Your theory is highly interesting and might be a good explanation for various things that have been discovered tonight."

Mr. Giles raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you read my mind?" At Edward's nod, Mr. Giles looked at bit relieved and some eagerness crept into his eyes, eagerness to share what he knew with us. I was clutching Edward's hand tightly, urging the Watcher to go on with my gaze. "This is just another aspect to prove that my theory is true. I don't know, how much you all are aware of ancient mythology, so I'll just give you a short overview."

To my right I heard Alice sigh and I looked over to her and saw a small pout on her lips. I suppressed a small grin at that. Thanks to the wolves' presence, she wouldn't be able to _see_ anything, and I just knew how much Alice wanted to know beforehand what Mr. Giles was going to tell us. I just wanted to turn my full attention back to Mr. Giles, when I heard Dawn whisper into my ear with a small giggle, "He just loves that part."

I was a bit confused by her statement, but this confusion cleared, when Mr. Giles cleared his throat and began to talk. It was obvious that he had already done this more than once, maybe even more than ten times.

"Contrary to popular mythology, life on earth didn't begin in a paradise. Demons walked the earth for untold eons, true demons, of which some had special abilities, before they eventually had to leave that reality, our reality, and mankind came. However, before the last demon left, he fed off a human and mixed their blood. This is how the vampire as we have known him until today came to be. I, however, believe that not all true demons have left this reality, that some are still hiding here. And I came to this conclusion by something Xander has told me over the phone tonight, something which I had not wanted to believe. It is said that those true demons, the true vampires, couldn't be harmed by sunlight, but that the sun still showed them for what they were."

"They sparkle," I muttered, as I realized the same thing that Edward and Alice already knew.

"Exactly, Miss Swan," Mr. Giles nodded at me, before he turned to look at the Cullens. "After everything Xander has told me, it is my firm belief that you are, if not the same, then at least descendants of the true vampires, the Old Ones."

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**End Note: I changed two short paragraphs in this chapter, because while writing it, I had completely forgotten that Alice can't _see_, when the wolves are around. **


	8. Sunrise

**A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope that I'll now have some more time to write… My Master Thesis is finished and there's only one paper left, which I want to write this week. And then, once I've passed everything, I'm done with university! Yay! And hopefully have some more time to write.**

**Anyway, thanks for all your nice reviews! I wish I could answer your questions, but I don't want to give too much away. I think I have some more surprises for you, which I don't want to ruin. ;) And I think one of them already appears in this chapter. ^^**

**But now, go on reading and don't forget to leave a review! ^^**

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**Sunrise**

"Nice," I heard Emmett hiss, after Mr. Giles had revealed his theory to us. I must say, it made sense, in a way, especially as I remembered how the vampires tonight in the alley had looked like. Their true vampire face was plain ugly and they hadn't been nearly as strong as my sparkly vampire family. After all, Edward had managed to tear off their heads within a second.

"That sounds truly interesting, Mr. Giles," Carlisle agreed, though a bit thoughtful. "And it would certainly explain the existence of that other kind of vampire that Bella has encountered tonight. I'd be interested to see any documents about the Old Ones, if you have any."

Nodding, Mr. Giles said, "There are documents in London, at the moment. However, it would be no problem to take you there to take a look at them, or maybe even bring those documents here."

"I'd really appreciate that, Mr. Giles. I daresay, it is quite a mystery, why we have never seen those other vampires. Maybe those records will help to answer this and other questions."

"So you're saying that there's more than one kind of bloodsu--- vampire?" Sam spoke for the first time that night. There was a deep, suspicious scowl on his face, which was only mirrored on Jared's face.

I saw out of the corners of my eyes, how Dawn's eyes narrowed, as she looked at them. But she wasn't the only one, who had noticed what Sam originally wanted to say, as Willow's and Xander's face displayed equal surprise.

"Bloodsucker?" the teenager next to me asked. "I thought you were friends of this family?"

"Allies," Jared corrected her curtly. "Born out of necessity."

"It's a longer story," Edward quickly explained, as my grip on his hand tightened. To be honest, I was scared that this was getting out of hand. Dawn had no idea of the wolves' temper, which was even worse under the current situation in the presence of the vampires. "But to make it short, Sam and Jared belong to the Quileute tribe of the nearby Indian reservation La Push, and they have the ability to transform into wolves. Vampires are their natural enemies, but we agreed on a treaty many years ago which allowed us to coexist with them, and just a few weeks ago, we became allies against a common threat, a group of vampires, that was after Bella."

Dawn grinned at me and raised an eyebrow. "Danger magnet?" she mouthed

"The worst," Alice sighed playfully from her other side, causing Dawn to giggle slightly and even me to grin. Already I could see that the two of them would get along great, if they got the chance to spend more time with each other, something which, my feelings told me, was certainly going to happen.

"Alice…" I groaned quietly.

"Ah, don't worry, Bella," Dawn reassured me in a whisper, still grinning. "Been there, done that. As the Slayer's sister, it was basically in my job description to be kidnapped on a weekly basis. Actually, it's getting old after some time. You'll get used to it."

"Great," I just grumbled, ignoring their grins and even the slight tugging at Edward's lips.

"Wolves?" Mr. Giles asked, astounded, oblivious to our short private conversation. "This-this is truly fascinating. Uhm… Do you transform at will, or is there a trigger, like the full moon?"

Carlisle shook his head slightly, as he said, "They may call themselves werewolves, but their shape is completely arbitrary, based on the tribe's past and their own… magic, I guess you would call it. It would be more precise to call them shape-shifters, as the ability to transform is found in their genetic makeup."

"Uh, Giles, Dr. Cullen," Xander suddenly cleared his throat pointedly. "Sorry to interrupt, but you're getting slightly off track here and you still haven't answered their question."

"Ah-I apologize," Mr. Giles mumbled, as he took off his glasses and began to clean them again. I gave Dawn a quick side-glance, and saw that she was grinning slightly and shaking her head. My impression was right – this certainly seemed to be a nervous habit of him. "To answer your question – yes, there is more than one kind of vampire. Currently, after this revelation, we are aware of three kinds. The Old Ones, meaning your kind, the average vampire, which Miss Swan has fought, and—"

"The Turok-Han," I murmured, more to myself than to the others, as the name of that race shot through my head.

"Correct, Miss Swan, the Turok-Han." I felt the heat rise in my face, as Mr. Giles turned to me. "It is my belief that, while the Old Ones were the original race, the Turok-Han evolved from that race, when the blood of a vampire and a human was mixed, but as mankind progressed in intelligence and behavior, so did the vampires, leading to the vampires as we know them today. "

"Three kinds of vampires, fantastic," Jared sneered. "Don't tell me that they're all _good_ vampires."

"As a matter of fact, no, they aren't," Mr. Giles explained, appearing only a bit ruffled by Jared's outburst. "At least the Turok-Han and the vampires we have battled for years are soulless demons, while I assume that the Old Ones possess a soul, considering what I see now. They aren't inherently evil, but could choose to be evil or choose to be good, just like humans can."

"And why do those Old Ones hunt and feed off humans, if they are not soulless?" Sam wanted to know.

Again, Giles took off his glasses, but before he could answer, it was, to everyone's surprise, Emmett who commented in his loud, booming voice. "Geez, maybe because it's our nature? Blood is for us what normal food is for you. Without it, we can't survive. And human blood is much tastier than animal blood, believe me, and it is much more difficult to resist than you can imagine. If you had to choose between a juicy steak and a plate of salad, which would you take?" Sam and Jared remained silent, only glaring at Emmett, as he paused shortly. Emmett took this as affirmation of his rhetorical question. "I thought so. You don't think twice, when you kill an animal, because you're higher on the food chain than they are. Guess what? We're higher on the food chain than humans – they are supposed to be our food. That's why the other vampires feed off humans and kill them in the process. It's not because they're evil or soulless, but because they regard humans as food, Happy Meals on legs and all that jazz. I'd like to see you try to resist the temptation, stupid mutts."

"Emmett, that's enough," Carlisle rebuked him gently but firmly. Crossing his arms over his chest, Emmett let himself fall on the sofa next to Rosalie, who patted his arm and whispered something to him. "I apologize for my son's outburst, and while what he has said is essentially true, the feeding habits of our race are not up for discussion at the moment. Sam, you and the elders of the tribe are of course welcome to ask more questions about our kind and the other kinds of vampires at a later date. But right now, I think, it's time to talk about why Bella has asked for your presence here tonight."

I nodded, my lips pressed tightly together. This was it, the moment of truth. My eyes fluttered over to the large window, but I couldn't see anything in the darkness. Was Jake there, watching us? Or had he retreated and only listened to us? I wondered, what he and the other wolves would think of me, once I was finished with my tale. Would they still believe that I'm a threat? Or would they maybe even offer me join them in their quest to rid the world of vampires? I snorted inwardly. Yeah, right. Bella and the Wolves, every vampire's nightmare.

However, I wouldn't find out how they'd react to this, until I told them. So, after having taken one deep breath, I gathered all my courage, looked directly at Sam and Jared and said, "You have seen through the pack mind what Jake has seen yesterday, how I've shown extraordinary strength and speed. Just a few hours before that, I was told something that sounded unbelievable and scared the hell out of me. That's why I had needed to test, what I'd been told, and that's what Jake has seen."

I swallowed, forcing the heavy lump down my throat, as I remembered the conversation, when Willow and Xander had told me what I was, what had happened to me.

"One day ago, I was told by those people that I've become a Vampire Slayer and, as hard as it is, I believe them. You saw through Jake's eyes what I can do, and after everything I've experienced since I've gotten the news, and even before, this is the only explanation that makes sense."

And so I gave Jared and Sam a quick rundown over everything that has happened in the last two days and also the changes I had noticed, but not really realized, over the course of the past few weeks.

Much to my relief, I managed to tell the story without shedding a single tear, remaining calm and collected the whole time. I was a bit proud of that fact. Still, it was emotionally quite exhausting, and I noticed how I leaned more and more on Edward, the more I told them. However, Edward remained quiet, just holding me more tightly, giving me the reassurance I needed to get through this.

Finally, after long minutes, I was finished with my tale, but a slight grin spread over my face, as I saw that my story had rendered Sam and Jared speechless. "Hard to believe, huh?" I quipped. "Bella, the Vampire Slayer."

A few snickers, especially from Emmett, broke the tension that had settled over us, after I had finished my story.

"Bella, the Vampire Slayer," Emmett laughed. "Sounds like the title of a TV series. Planning to become an actress, sis?"

"No, I don't think so, Emmett," I replied grinning. "I think I'll stay with the slaying gig for now."

The moment those words left my mouth, I knew I had said the wrong thing, as I felt Edward tense next to me. I knew that this was a future, he didn't want for me, especially not after what he had heard tonight about the life of the Slayer. Before tonight, I had wanted nothing of this life, but now, I wasn't so sure anymore. While what had happened in the alley had been scary, it had also felt right, as strange as it sounded. But me fighting vampires was going against everything Edward wanted for me. His instincts to keep me safe were simply too strong to let me go out and fight.

I just wanted to tell Edward that I didn't mean it, when he suddenly said, "Sam, Jared, I think your questions are answered for now."

"Yes," Sam answered. "We wanted to know how Bella could be so strong and fast and if she posed a threat. Though I must say that we have never expected the answers you gave us. We will inform the rest of the pack and the elders about this, but you don't have anything to fear from us, Bella. If anything," his lips formed a half-grin, "you're more than welcome to join our pack, should you decide that hunting vampires might be your future."

I was relieved and speechless at the same time. It was really too good to be true that the pack didn't regard me as threat and even more unbelievable that they had actually offered me to join them, something which I had only joked about in my mind. A small grin began to tug at my lips, as I had to decline his offer. "Thanks, Sam, but I don't think I'll get back to you on that."

"As you wish, just consider it an open invitation." Uncrossing his arms, Sam nodded at Jared, who also eased his stance. "We will leave now. Mr. Giles, it was a pleasure meeting you and your friends. Should you have any more questions about our tribe, feel free to visit us on our reservation. I'm sure that the elders will provide you with answers."

"Thank you," Mr. Giles said, his face lighting up at the prospect of finding more information about the Quileute tribe. I didn't doubt at all that Billy would get a visitor in the next days. After Carlisle, ever the gracious host, had accompanied Sam and Jared to the front door, Mr. Giles rose as well. "Well, it is late and I don't want to impose on you at such a late hour. I'm sure that this has been an exhausting day for your family."

Late? I glanced at the clock on the wall and was startled to realize that it was already past midnight. Just when exactly had so much time passed?

"Don't worry about that, Mr. Giles," Edward replied, as he, too, rose from the couch, carefully pulling me with him.

But Mr. Giles was right. I was exhausted, but not physically. My body didn't seem to be in the least bit tired. As a matter of fact, it was buzzing with unreleased energy, almost drawing me outside. But it was emotionally that I was exhausted. I just wished that this emotional rollercoaster would stop soon. My gaze wandered again to the glass front, squinting through the darkness, but I couldn't see anything except for the moonlight glinting in the river or the dark trees in front of the dark sky.

"Our race doesn't sleep."

"Never?" Mr. Giles asked, once again surprised.

"Never," Carlisle agreed. "But you're right. For humans, it is late, and we should adjourn this conversation. Miss Rosenberg and Mr. Harris need to return to Port Angeles, if they don't wish to stay here over night. You and Miss Summers are also welcomed to stay."

Dawn immediately jumped up at this. "Oh, please, Giles, may I? May I? I promise I'll get you in the morning, when you want to come back from London. Or wait, that would be evening for you, wouldn't it? Stupid time zones."

Mr. Giles looked back at Carlisle, who had been joined by Esme in the meantime. She smiled warmly, as she said, both to Mr. Giles and Dawn, "It really isn't a problem. It would be our pleasure to accommodate you."

After having hesitated a few more seconds, Mr. Giles eventually sighed. "Alright, Dawn. But if I hear any complains…"

"Thank you, Giles!" Dawn squealed and hugged him tightly for a short moment. "I'll behave, I promise. As I see it, Bella is a much bigger danger magnet than I am, so I should be safe."

My face immediately heated up again, and again the room was filled with quiet snickers. But somehow, I couldn't be angry at Dawn. I liked her already and it was nice to have someone spread laughter around, when we were all so tense, even if it was at my expense. In the end, it was also because of me that everything was so tense in the first place.

"Well, Xander and I better hit the road," Willow announced. "After all, we're still paying for our room for tonight, but we might take you up on your offer tomorrow."

Mr. Giles nodded at them. "And I head back to London. This will allow me to do some more research and gather the documents about the Old Ones that we might need. But as Willow and Xander, I think I might stay tomorrow night as well."

"Very well. Then I will also use the night to find texts about our race that might interest you."

"That would be marvelous," Mr. Giles literally beamed. "But now, I should leave. Uh, Dawn, would you?"

"Sure, Giles," she chirped and from one moment to another, a look of deep concentration had appeared on her face. Her brows furrowed slightly and a light grunt escaped her lips, just before a head-high green portal appeared in the middle of the Cullens' living room. "There you are."

"Thank you. I will see you all tomorrow, or-or rather, later today. Goodbye." After shaking Carlisle's and Esme's cold hands – I was impressed to notice that he didn't react at all to the cold now – he stepped through the portal, which closed immediately behind him.

"So, that's our cue," Xander told us, as he and Willow grabbed their jackets and put them on.

"We will show you out," Edward said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and together we walked to the front door with Xander and Willow in tow. However, before they left, Edward truly surprised me by saying to them, "I have to apologize to you. I realize that I haven't been the most… polite person tonight."

"It's okay, no need to say sorry," Willow quickly reassured him. "How you reacted was completely natural, really. Actually, considering what we know now, I'm surprised that you haven't ripped our heads off. I mean, you must have believed that we were lying, with everything we've told you."

"Yes, that's true, but Bella talked me into giving your story a chance." He gazed lovingly down at me and rubbed my arm. "But I should have known that she would figure things out. Bella's always been too perceptive for her own good."

"I'm glad, you listened to her," Xander agreed with a grin. "But now, it's time to go. Bella, Edward, we'll see you later. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I wished them and watched as they got into their car and drove off. As soon as they were gone, I slumped against Edward. I felt as if I were suffering from information overload. My head felt like it was filled with cotton and I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and not think of anything anymore.

Feeling Edward's cold breath brush past my ear, I heard him mumble, "Let's get back inside. You should go to bed."

I only nodded, as I leaned heavily on him and we went back into the living room, where Dawn and Alice were sitting on the couch talking animatedly. This girl, who had accepted the Cullens so readily, looked to be wide awake, even able to keep up with the little pixie.

"We will retreat to my room," Edward announced to his family. "Bella is tired."

"Of course, Bella," Esme glided over to us and hugged me gently. "Get some sleep. You need it."

"Thanks, Esme. Goodnight everyone."

Murmured goodnights followed Edward and me up the stairs and into his room, where I sat down on his bed, finally letting the exhaustion overwhelm me. However, my body still felt a bit restless, and the darkness outside still pulled me towards it. I hadn't noticed it until now, but when I hadn't been absolutely dead on my feed, my sleep had been fitful. I had thought that this was because of the pre-wedding jitters and stress from the battle against Victoria and her newborn army, but now I realized that this was the Slayer in me. It wanted to go out and… hunt. I wanted to go out and hunt.

I thought back to the thrill of the short fight against the other vampires that night. No matter how terrifying it had been or how worried I had been about Edward, it had felt just right, as if I belonged. Exhilarating almost, now that it was over. And hadn't we saved some poor unsuspecting humans, because Edward and I had killed those vampires? If they hadn't preyed on me, they would have preyed on other humans and killed them. I could save many more lives, if I went out every night.

My muscles twitched, as I stared out into the darkness. Was this a life I wanted?

No! I inwardly shook my head. I had my future planned out for me. I was going to get married in four weeks and after that I would become a vampire myself. That was what I wanted, nothing else.

"What are you thinking?" Edward's cool fingers ghosted over my cheek, bringing my attention back to him. I looked away from the window and raised my eyes to meet his worried golden ones.

Should I be honest with him or lie? I bit my lower lip, as I contemplated what to do and lowered my gaze for a moment. After just a few seconds, I sighed. I was too exhausted to think of a lie and I shouldn't forget that Edward would see right through it. So I settled for the truth. "I was just… thinking about… what it means… being a Slayer, I mean."

"And… what does it mean to you?"

His voice was quiet, almost too careful, as he asked this question. His gaze was directed at my hands, just as mine had been a few seconds ago. Still, I saw the tension in the way he held his shoulders.

"Edward, you know… what I've said downstairs… about slaying… that it was a joke. An answer to Emmett's teasing."

"Was it really?"

"Of course," I soothed him, taking his hands into mine. But then, I said firmly, "Look at me, Edward. You know what I want and being a Slayer is not a part of my future."

"I know," he whispered. "I just… I'm worried that I will once again keep you from a future you might want. The way you fought those… vampires… even though I was absolutely terrified for you, I noticed something…"

"What? What did you notice?" I asked softly, as Edward hesitated.

"At that moment… it felt… as if I saw you for the first time. Beautiful, breathtaking, performing an intricate dance… doing what you were born to do."

I shook my head slightly. "During most of the fight, I had no idea, what I was doing. I was running on instinct alone."

"That's not what it looked like."

"Edward," I sighed. "Maybe… maybe you're right and it is what I was born to do, but this doesn't mean that I'll have to do it or that I will do it. We're getting married in four weeks—"

"Three weeks, five days, seventeen hours and thirty-four minutes."

"Three weeks, five days, seventeen hours and thirty-four minutes," I repeated fondly, allowing a small smile on my lips. I had known that this wedding meant much to him, but that he was already counting the minutes was just the sweetest thing he could have done to prove that he was more than just looking forward to our special day. I couldn't even feel annoyed. "And when we're married, I will soon be a real part of this family."

"You are already a real part of this family."

"You know what I mean," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. But then I said, with more force, "But what I want to say is… I know what lies ahead of me. My future is with you and with your family. Slaying will _never_ be a part of that."

Carefully, Edward pressed his lips to mine, before he hugged me gently. "You are truly extraordinary, Bella. I really don't deserve you."

This time, I didn't contradict him, because while I was resting against his chest, I wondered whom I had tried to convince more with my statement – Edward or myself.

* * *

I didn't sleep well that night. I tossed and turned and woke up every so often. As usual, Edward stayed with me the whole time, even though I could see the concern on his face grow with each time I woke up. He always hummed me quickly to sleep again with my lullaby, however, and so I didn't get around to worry myself about what disturbed my sleep.

It was a combination of many different things that disturbed my sleep that night. Worry about everything that had been revealed to me, fear about what was to come, the call from the darkness, urging me to go out and then there were the dreams. Dreams about fighting girls, about growls in the distance, a dark line advancing towards me… and about a girl.

I had never seen her before, and yet she seemed familiar, as if I _should_ know her. She seemed to be of Italian origin, but her skin shone pale in the darkness. Her golden eyes rose to meet mine and I saw her raise a wooden stake. "Who are you?" I wanted to ask, but no sound escaped my mouth. She just tilted her head to one side, as she lowered her arm again. A second later, she was gone.

"Wakey, wakey!" a high musical voice tore me out of my dream. I groggily opened my eyes and gazed directly into Alice's beaming face.

Grumbling and yawning I sat up. "Alice? How late is it?" I looked around and saw that the room was empty except for us two. "Where's Edward?"

She giggled. "Look at your pillow." While I was turning around and indeed saw a simple piece of folded white paper next to my pillow, Alice continued to talk, "And for you information, it's half past nine. Hurry and get ready. Esme, Dawn and I want to leave at half past ten at the latest."

"Leave? Where do you want to go?" I asked confused.

"To Charlie of course. While you can enjoy the luxury of our bathrooms, Charlie is not that fortunate and he can't go indefinitely without taking a shower. So, hurry… you have fifteen minutes. Breakfast is ready for you."

I sighed, as Alice left the room without another word. But instead of getting up at once, I let myself fall back on my soft and fluffy pillow and took the note Edward had left for me. A smile immediately lit up my face, as I took in his beautiful handwriting.

_My Love,_

_Enjoy a day out with the girls. I won't be complete, until you are in my arms again tonight._

The smile on my face dimmed to a light frown, when I had finished reading the note. While it was always so romantic that he left notes for me, whenever he went somewhere, he could have at least told me, where he was. But had he left the house?

Instinctively, I reached out with my new senses and almost immediately located the tingle I associated with Edward, where Carlisle's study should be. Several other 'tingles' were there as well - three more vampires – Carlisle and… who else? Then a tingle, which felt a bit… woodsy? Could a tingle, an itch in the back of my mind, really feel woodsy? Apparently, it could, and since I linked the term 'woodsy' with 'wolf', it was my guess that one of the pack was there, maybe Sam. And then, one more… This one felt a bit darker, but powerful. Was that Willow? And what were they all doing in Carlisle's study? Had something happened?

"Ten minutes, Bella!" Alice's tingling voice tore me out of my pondering, as she called through the whole house. Great… now everyone knew that I was dawdling… or thought that I had fallen asleep again.

Climbing out of the bed, I yelled, "I'm getting ready!", took some of my clothes out of Edward's closet and disappeared in his bathroom.

Nine minutes and thirty seconds later, I was fully dressed, pulled my damp hair back into a high ponytail, put on the black flats Alice had bought for me and forced me to wear, and jogged down the stairs, something I would have never done a few weeks ago. I looked around the room and saw, much to my surprise, Emmett and Xander sit on the couch in front of the huge flat screen, playing a video game. As my eyes wandered further around the room, I also spotted Alice and Esme sitting at the kitchen counter and I could hear unfamiliar humming come from the kitchen itself. My new senses told me that there was also a little tingle associated to this humming person, but I quickly pushed it out of my mind, as I approached them.

"Here I am," I announced and was met with 'good mornings' from Emmett and Xander, which I returned. "And now tell me, what Edward's doing with the others in Carlisle's study. His note wasn't very forthcoming."

"Good morning, Bella," Dawn chirped, as she danced out of the kitchen and placed a plate of pancakes in front of me. I realized that she must be the one who had been humming just a few seconds ago. "Funny shapes with chocolate chips, I hope you'll like them."

"Thanks," I mumbled. Funny shapes, indeed. None of the pancakes on my plate looked as circular and regular as I was used to in this household, but it was a welcome change to all those perfect things I had to keep up with in this family. Once I had taken a bite – they were really good, which I told a beaming Dawn – I asked again, "So, Edward? Carlisle's study?" I looked expectantly at Alice.

She shrugged. "Nothing special. Giles returned from London this morning with the texts he found about the Old Ones. We called Will, Xand and even Sam and as soon as everyone was here, Giles, Edward, Jazz, Rose, Will and Sam disappeared with Carlisle in his study and have started talking about all those boring theories about vampires."

"They're just boring for you, because you have already seen the whole discussion," I teased her.

"Nope," Alice replied, plopping the 'p' in 'nope'. "Sam's up there, remember?"

"Damn," I muttered under my breath, having completely forgotten Alice's inability to see the wolves. But then another thought hit me and I announced with a victorious grin, "But you can hear them perfectly."

"Touché," she grinned.

I returned her grin, but then sighed. "Why didn't they wake me?"

A look of compassion appeared on Esme's face, as she explained, "Edward didn't want to burden you with all of this. He believes – and we agree – that you've gotten enough information for now. They are also not discussing the Slayer, but us vampires. It would have been too boring for you."

I wanted to contradict, but in the end had to concede. It was true, after all. I had already suffered from information overload last night and I didn't know how much more I could take. So I didn't say anything and instead concentrated on the steadily growing pile of pancakes. Dawn was humming to herself again, as she made pancake after pancake, completely ignoring the fact that the majority of the people in this house didn't eat human food.

She, Alice and Esme chatted the whole time amiably, while I was having breakfast, and I wondered, if Dawn had even gotten sleep last night, or if she and Alice had talked through the night. She still seemed full of energy, despite the yawns that escaped her lips from time to time. I turned my attention away from them and to the two young men on the couch – Emmett and Xander also seemed to get along really well, talking about things I had never heard before. It seemed to be something about Star Trek or Stargate? Or was it Star Wars? I had no idea.

"Are you finished?" Dawn asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked down at my empty plate and nodded. With a grin, she took the plate and put it into the dishwasher, along with the other dishes that had been used.

I watched her get around the Cullens' kitchen, as if she lived here, and the worries that she hadn't slept at all came back to the forefront of my mind. "Did you sleep well?" I finally asked her.

"Sleep?" She giggled. "No, I just couldn't sleep. I mean, despite the fact that it was morning in London and I had just woken up, when Xander called, this is all just much too exciting to sleep. I guess I'll regret it in a few hours, but when I go to bed at a normal time tonight, it should be okay tomorrow. Just like jet lag, you know? Just gimme some java goodness to get through the day and I'll be fine. Honestly, I don't think that Giles is feeling much better, with him being much older and stuff."

As I listened to her talk faster than the Cullens drove their cars, I realized that she must have already had some cups of coffee. No normal person could talk so much and so fast. Still, I really couldn't help but like that girl. She was like sunshine, breezing through our lives and brightening the mood wherever she went. Also, it was nice to finally know someone around my age, who not just knew about vampires, but also accepted my vampire family as if they were normal human people.

Before I knew it, I was ushered outside and into Carlisle's black Mercedes by Alice and Esme, with Dawn at my side. She was skipping and still humming, visibly buzzing with excitement, and somehow, I couldn't help but be affected by her good mood. A smile began to light up my face, as I joined the conversation between Alice and Esme, who were talking about what they would tell Charlie about how to improve with shower, with Dawn giving her two cents every now and then, while we were driving to my soon to be old home.

I had never been in a car with Esme driving before, and I had to admit that I had hoped that her driving style would differ from the one of the other Cullens, however, I was sadly mistaken. It must be in a vampire's genetic makeup to love speed, because even with the gentlest of the whole family driving, we stood on Charlie's doorstep just a few minutes later. I cringed away, as Dawn whistled upon seeing my new car and only answered her answer, if this was my car, with a nod and a strained smile on my face.

Fortunately, I was spared any more questions about Edward's latest over the top present, as Charlie opened the door to greet us, before I could even reach the handle. "Hey dad!" I greeted him, relieved.

"Hey Bells," he replied grinning, but I could see his grin slip slightly, as he took in the eager faces of Alice and Esme. Just like me, Charlie really wasn't fond of taking charity from other people, though the Cullens would never call their paying for a new shower, or better, for a whole new bathroom, charity. It was more like helping the family. "Alice, Esme, please come inside. And you are?"

His gaze was fixated on Dawn, who finally appeared to be a bit nervous. I quickly decided to step in and introduced her. "Dad, this is Dawn Summers. She's been in Port Angeles with Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris, you know, the guys who talked to me about college?"

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you, Dawn. But what brings you here to Forks, except for Bella's stubbornness?"

Dawn giggled lightly, as we all stepped into the kitchen. "Actually, it's exactly Bella's stubbornness that brought me here. Willow and Xander are at the Cullens' house right now, talking about that school and about any possibilities that might allow Edward to visit that college as well, seeing as it's just for gifted girls, you know? And I thought, why not come along and talk to Bella some more? I'm still in the high school part of that school, but I'm gonna enter college next year, and I thought I could tell her some more about it. Especially as my sister is one of the founding members."

"That's interesting," Charlie mumbled, before he turned to me. "So you've considered going to their school?"

"Not really considered," I admitted. "But I've been more open-minded about that possibility since my conversation with Willow and Xander last night."

"That's nice to hear, Bells," he said, but I could see that his thoughts had already wandered to the true reason why at least two of us were here. "Now, about that shower… Esme, Alice, I know you said you'd pay for everything, but I can't possibly allow that. The bathroom is already pretty old, so the tiles and plaster must have been loose, before Bella slipped, so it's nothing you should worry about."

"Oh, but we want to worry about that, Charlie," Esme insisted with a dazzling smile, which was only surpassed by Alice's and rendered Charlie just as helpless as I was usually, when Edward used this tactic on me.

"Esme's right, Charlie. Just think of it as some kind of dowry."

"Dowry?" Charlie asked dumbfounded.

"Yeah," Alice nodded cheerfully. "We get to have Bella in our family and you get a new bathroom. It still isn't a fair exchange, because Bella's far more worth than a bathroom, but I believe Esme and I can think of something to make it a bit more even."

"But I…" Charlie tried to say, but was immediately silenced by a pointed look from Alice, before she and Esme bounded up the stairs and told Charlie to go fishing and not to worry about anything. He sighed, before he turned again to Dawn and me. "I think I really should go fishing. I'm not sure I want to see, what they will do." He shuddered slightly, even though I knew that whatever Esme and Alice did would be perfect. "And what will you two do in the meantime?"

I shrugged and looked at Dawn. "Maybe some sightseeing, though there isn't much to see here in Forks."

"Sounds great," Dawn agreed. "I desperately need to buy something for Buffy. She's been getting on my nerves, since I didn't get her a souvenir from Barcelona."

"Then have fun, you two…"

"Thanks, dad," I said, feeling a bit bad for leaving him already. I had barely seen him in the last few days. "And you go catch some fish. Our fridge might need some replenishment."

"Very funny, Bells. But hey, will you stay the night again at the Cullens'?

I bit my lower lip, as I thought for a moment. I really hadn't seen much of Charlie lately and especially with what was lying ahead of me, it wasn't fair of me. Not when the chances that I would ever see him again after the wedding were slim to none. "No dad. I'll stay here tonight. And I'll make you some dinner."

"Thanks, Bells. I don't know what I'd do without you."

This was getting slightly uncomfortable, especially with Dawn being there as well. I wasn't sure, but I guessed that nobody but the Cullens knew what would happen to me after the wedding. I really didn't think that anyone had told Dawn or her friends that soon I'd be a vampire, too. I wasn't even sure, if we should tell them. I shook my head inwardly. This was something I had to think about later, but not now. "Aw dad, you got along… just fine… before I came." I winced, as I said the words fine, because living off pizza and other fast food certainly wasn't the right definition of getting along just fine. "Well, Dawn and I should go now, and you should, too."

"You're right, Bells. So, bye and I'll see you tonight."

"Bye dad!"

"Bye Chief Swan."

At first, after we had left the house and went into town, Dawn was strangely silent, but eventually she said, "Your dad's pretty nice. Must be great to have him, even though your parents are divorced."

"Yeah, he's great. But I hadn't really appreciated him before I moved here." Something in the tone of her voice told me that she hadn't been that lucky with her parents, so carefully, I asked, "So, your parents are divorced, too?"

She swallowed hard, before she nodded. "Right after Buffy was called as a Slayer. After she burnt down her old school gym because of some really nasty vampires, she, our mom and I moved to Sunnydale. We rarely saw our dad in our first few months living there and eventually he didn't even bother to speak to us anymore. That bastard didn't even call, when mom died."

I gasped, shocked. "I'm so sorry, Dawn, I didn't know! About your mom, I mean."

"It's okay," she quickly reassured me. "She's at a better place now. But, now tell me of yourself! How did you end up with Edward?"

Immediately recognizing her strategy of changing the topic to avoid something painful and uncomfortable, I was quick to tell her the story about how Edward and I had first met at school. How I had thought he hated me without even knowing me, when in reality he had almost killed me because of my blood. I was careful not to speak of anything vampire-related whenever we were among other people, but otherwise she got almost – I still didn't tell her about my plan to be changed – the whole story, even the hard part about when Edward had left me, my friendship with Jacob, and eventually my trip to Italy to save him."

"Sometimes men are really stupid," Dawn had muttered then with a grin.

I agreed with her and continued with Edward's and my story. In return, Dawn told me fascinating stories about her life in Sunnydale, about the vampires and demons they have fought and befriended, about Buffy's tragic love story with Angel and at last her affair with Spike. I listened to those two stories with much more interest than to the others, because I could relate to Buffy only too well. I also decided that Angel and Edward both had something in common – the brooding. Sometimes during her tale I thought that Dawn, too, left some things out, but I didn't press her on that. After all, I had done the same.

We had a quick lunch at the Lodge, the whole time talking. Time had passed really fast until then, and I could now safely say that I got along extremely well with Dawn, despite the fact that she was almost two years younger than me. After lunch, I decided that Dawn should finally get her chance to buy some souvenirs, so I brought her to the only store in town, where she could get not only things from Forks, but also from La Push.

I watched as Dawn browsed through the souvenirs, looking for something she could take home and get her sister from her trip to Forks. I shook my head slightly. I just couldn't figure out, why someone would want to buy souvenirs from a place like this. It was rainy and small and boring, after all, nothing interesting. Still, I browsed along with her and offered my opinion whenever she asked me.

We'd been in the store for about fifteen minutes – still quite a feat considering the size of the store – as we reached the aisle with the stuff they sold from the reservation. It was then that I really felt it for the first time, a strong tingle in the back of my mind. The whole time, ever since we had left Charlie's house, I had thought I had felt something, a slight itch which I couldn't scratch, but hadn't thought much of it. After all, there were enough vampires and wolves around in Forks to activate that tingle.

I sighed, irritated, as I looked over my shoulder, but didn't see anything. As useful as this sense might be for slaying, it was getting rather tedious in daily life, especially with the number of supernatural beings here in Forks. I hoped I was going to get used to it soon.

For a short moment, the tingle seemed to lessen, and I turned my full attention back to Dawn, who was holding a dreamcatcher in one hand, and was browsing through some earrings with her other hand. But suddenly, the tingle returned at full force and I looked around again. A quiet gasp escaped my lips, as I saw Jake stand there right in front of the shop window, shirtless of course. He looked worried and waved at me to come out, when he noticed that I had seen him.

„Uh, Dawn," I quickly said, turning back to her. "I just saw a friend outside. Do you mind, if I go out and say hello?"

She looked up from the selection of earrings in front of her and smiled. "Of course not. I'm almost finished here anyway. You go ahead. I'll catch up with you outside."

"Thanks," I breathed, but I was already moving. I couldn't believe it. Jake was here. And he was not a wolf. In my excitement to finally see him again, really see him, I even managed to stumble again over my own feet, once I had left the store, and naturally right into his arms. "Jake!"

He laughed, as he caught me and crushed me to his scalding chest. "I thought you'd gotten over your clumsy tendencies, being the thing all vampires are scared off and all that jazz."

"Me too," I joined in his laughter. "But you bring out the worst in me, Jacob Black, as usual."

"Sure, sure," he just replied, as he gently pushed me away, and his laughter died. I craned my neck to look up at him and was startled to see that my Jacob was gone again, replaced by Sam's Jacob.

"Jake, what's wrong?"

"It's… this girl." His head jerked towards the store.

"Dawn? What about her?"

"I'm not sure." His brows furrowed, as he squinted through the glass. Dawn was standing with her back to us at the cash register, which meant that she would be done soon. "I've been watching you two the whole morning and I don't think she's human. There's something different about her. When I look at her as a wolf, she's glowing… and even now, when I really concentrate on it, I can see a shadow of the bright green glow around her."

I looked again at Dawn through the window, as she paid, but I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Sure, she could open portals, but other than that, she seemed like a normal seventeen-year-old girl. "Are you sure, Jake?"

"Of course I am!" he snapped, but winced at the same time. "Sorry… But Bella, she's an unknown and I think that you should be careful, maybe even stay away from her. She might be dangerous."

Snorting, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Don't worry, Jake. I can take care of myself, as you've seen yourself. And she certainly isn't evil, I mean, she's the sister of the original Slayer and has fought against the bad guys for a few years already. She won't harm me."

"Hey," Jake raised his arms in defeat. "I'm just warning you. Be careful, Bells. I'm worried about you, you know, with everything that has happened to you, and I don't trust anyone, especially not some potentially dangerous and most of all unknown green glowing girl."

"I know," I sighed. I wanted to say more, reassuring him one more time that I'd be fine, when the jingle of the door caught my attention and I turned around to see Dawn exit the store, holding a small paper bag in her hands. "So you found something?"

"Yeah," Dawn replied, fishing a pair of green earrings out of her bag. "I'm sure that Buffy will love them."

"They're pretty," I agreed, even though I'd never wear them. "Dawn, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Jacob Black. I've told you about him. Jake, this is Dawn Sum…" I trailed off, as I looked back to Jake and saw the strangest expression on his face, as he really looked at Dawn for the first time.

I had expected the closed off and sneering expression, he reserved for enemies, but this, this was completely different. His face was full of wonder, almost, as if he was watching the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen, or better, as if he was witnessing the first sunrise in his life.

Stunned, it took me a second or two to realize just what exactly had happened.

"Whoa!" Dawn's startled voice suddenly disturbed this wondrous moment. "What the hell's just happened? What kind of spell was that?"

At the same moment, my cell phone buzzed. I knew without even listening to the ringtone or looking at the display that it was Alice. After all, she'd just seen my future disappear. "Bella?" I heard her frantic voice on the other end.

"I'm fine, Alice. It's just Jake."

"Fantastic," she muttered. "You know how much I hate it to be blind. Will he stay long?"

"Uhm…" I looked back to Dawn and Jake, Jake still staring at Dawn with so much wonder and adoration shining in his eyes that it hurt me to see the hostile glare on Dawn's face directed at my best friend. "I think I might be in the wolves' company a bit longer. You see… Jake's just imprinted."

"Oh… _Oh!_"

"Imprinted? What does that mean?" Dawn asked, suspiciously glancing back and forth between me and Jake.

"Alice, we'll go to La Push. I'll call you later." Without waiting for her to reply, I snapped the phone shut and looked at Jake. "Jake, you come with Dawn and me. We go to your house. It's best, when Billy's there to explain everything. And Dawn, don't worry. Trust me… it's… I can't explain… Just trust me when I say that nothing bad has happened to you."

At least I hoped so. Who knew how the sister of the Slayer might react to the news that she'd just found her soulmate?


	9. The Key to Imprinting

**A/N: Finally, finally, a long and new chapter! Thanks a lot for all your great reviews! I have already answered some of them, but there's one question that I want to answer for all of you. **

**Some readers have asked, if Bella and Edward will still have Renesmee in this story, seeing as Jake imprinted on Dawn. My answer to this question is that vampires, both male and female, can't have children. So, as much as I like Nessie (I know, some of you really don't like her, but some do) we won't have a little half-vampire in this story. **

**Another question I often hear is about Buffy, if she will come into this story and if yes, when. The answer is yes. Buffy will appear in this story. But I won't tell you, when. But believe me, she'll get a big entrance!**

**And now, on to the story itself! Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Key to Imprinting**

When I pulled out of Charlie's drive with my new silent and sleek car (I really wanted my trusty old truck back), I caught Alice's worried gaze in the window of my room, which did absolutely nothing to alleviate my own worries. Ever since the weird happenings in front of the souvenir shop, ever since Jake had imprinted on Dawn, the situation had been strained between the two of them. And I was feeling like a third wheel, wanting to do something to break the tension, but unable to do it.

At first, while we were walking back to my house, Jake had tried to talk to Dawn, asked her things about herself and began to talk about himself a bit, but she had just ignored him the whole time and was still ignoring him now, sitting next to me in the car with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed on the passing landscape.

I could see that it clearly hurt Jake, who was in the backseat, looking as if his puppy had just died. But I couldn't do anything about it, not yet. Dawn thought that Jake had used a spell on her – as if he knew anything about magic – and if I interpreted her history with spells correctly, I knew that this wasn't something to be messed with. Especially if it made you feel drawn to someone, something Dawn must surely feel towards Jake all of a sudden. And now, after I had tried to reassure her that it wasn't anything bad, she refused to talk to Jake _and_ me.

I've gotta say, I can't blame her.

The way I had gotten to know her, Dawn was an independent and confident young woman – forced to grow up this way on the Hellmouth, with her sister being _the_ Slayer – and I feared how she would react to what imprinting really meant – for her and Jake. How would she take to finding out that as Jake's imprint, she was his soulmate. According to what Jake had told me, it was almost impossible for the imprint to resist the level of commitment and adoration the imprinter felt, that it was the wolf's way of finding its mate.

I was getting surer with every passing minute, with every passing mile that brought us nearer to the reservation and therewith to revealing to Dawn what imprinting was, that she wouldn't like the answer one little bit. I could certainly understand that. If I had never fallen in love with Edward and if Jake had, for whatever reason, imprinted on me, I was sure that I wouldn't have liked it either to have my choices taken away from me.

The strained silence between the three of us remained until I pulled the Mercedes to a stop in front of Billy's house. The curtain in front of the window moved and I could make out Billy's face behind it. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Jake tense and I realized with a pang that this must be the first time that Jake had returned to his home after he had run off a few weeks ago. This was something I should have realized much sooner, especially as I now looked at Jake and saw the dirty skin and tangled hair. He hadn't been human in a long time, but now it was too late for me to change his appearance.

Jake's first impression on Dawn certainly wasn't the best he could have given.

I turned slightly in my seat and mouthed, _I'm sorry_, but Jake just shook his head with a small grin, before he took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. The door closed with a soft click and knowing that it was now just us two girls in the car, I told Dawn, "Jake and his dad, Billy, live in this house. Billy is also one of the elders of the tribe and I'm sure that he can answer every question you have."

Dawn didn't react at all, her arms still crossed over her chest and her gaze averted stoically from me, though I could see how she eyed Jake suspiciously through the tinted class. This was not going to be easy.

"Jake's really a great guy," I continued. "You should give him a chance to explain, at least. If you still don't want to get to know him after that, we can go home and you'll never have to see him again, I promise." Although I sincerely hoped that it would work out between the two of them. I just couldn't stand to see Jake hurt and if I had to choose between my best friend and a person I was just getting to know, I'd always choose Jake, of course. Yet Dawn was an important visitor and on the best way to becoming my friend, so I had to make sure that she was safely home, before I could do anything about Jake, to help him.

Nodding stiffly, Dawn said, "Okay… let's get this over with." Without another word, she opened her door and got out as well, still keeping her distance from Jake. When I got out of the car after her, I saw that Billy had come to the front door in the meantime and was staring at Jake. I swore I could see tears glisten in his eyes for a moment, but just a second later his eyes seemed dry again, so I could have just as well imagined it.

"Jacob," Billy whispered, the slight choking in his voice betraying the feelings he tried to keep from his face.

Jake seemed uncertain, taking a slow step towards his father, as he flashed him a slightly wavy smile. "Hey there, dad. Long time, no see."

A grin, the same grin I loved so much on Jake's face, spread over Billy's. "Welcome home, Jake. It's been a bit quiet without you around here."

Snorting, Jake replied, "Admit it, old man. You enjoyed the few weeks without my snoring."

"Sure, sure…"

I chuckled quietly, finally realizing where Jake had gotten most of his behavior from. It was a bit weird, hearing Billy use the same words I was used to hearing from Jake, but it was great to see the two of them interact so playfully with each other again. It almost was as if Jake had never been gone.

"Ah, Bella… Hello. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you. I must say that I've heard some truly interesting things about you. And who is this beautiful young lady, you brought home, Jake?"

Jake winced a bit and I averted my eyes from Billy for a moment, after mumbling a quick hello. Billy had no idea how close he had hit to home with his innocent and teasing question.

"Dad, this is Dawn Summers. She's with the people who've come here because of Bella… and… uhm… the situation is a bit complicated…"

I wanted to go over and hug Jake, to reassure him that the situation wasn't as complicated as he thought, but this was something which he needed to do on his own, in my opinion. Dawn would never get a better impression of him, if I had to help him now.

Billy looked towards Dawn, who hadn't moved an inch since she had gotten out of the car, then to Jake and eventually back to Dawn, as understanding seemed to dawn on him. "I see… why don't you come into the house so that we can talk about everything?"

Jake released a deep breath and some of the tension in his shoulders vanished. Having his father on his side seemed to help him calm down a bit. I gently touched Dawn's arm, urging her to come with me into the house. Much to my relief, she began to move, though she still didn't say anything. However, once we stepped inside, her gaze began to wander around the small and comfy house Jake and Billy had shared for many years, ever since the death of Jake's mother.

When I thought about it, I noticed that they had many things in common. Both Dawn and Jake had lost their mothers and they were forced into the world of supernatural by outer circumstances. While Dawn's real father didn't really care for his daughters, she seemed to have a strong and wise father figure in Mr. Giles, and Jake's dad was one of the tribe elders. They both seemed to have a stubborn streak, and not to forget one of the most obvious similarities – they were the same age (I chose to ignore the fact that Jake was physically much older). I was sure that there were many other things, but that those would become visible over time, once Dawn gave Jake a chance.

"Please, sit down," Billy told us and I took a seat next to Dawn on the old couch, while Jake chose the battered armchair for himself. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

When Jake didn't appear to say anything to answer his father question, I was ready to step in, but to my big surprise, Dawn asked, "What's this imprint-thing? Is it some kind of spell? I mean, when _he_ looked at me, something happened. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't like it. Bella mentioned something about imprinting, so I guess this is what happened, but I'd like to know what it is."

Jake winced, as if someone had punched him and my hand itched to reach out for him. I could only imagine what those few chosen words did to him – I only remembered too well what it felt like to be rejected by the love of my life, by my soulmate. The stitches of the closed hole in my chest were still visible, after all.

"Imprinting," Billy began to explain calmly, looking directly at Dawn, "is something that could happen to the people of my tribe who can phase into wolves, when they meet their soulmates. In layman terms, it can be described as love at first sight, only that imprinting is much more powerful and absolute. The ones who already have imprinted describe it like their whole world is suddenly rotating around this person. It binds the wolf to the person, he or she imprints on, and they will do anything in their power to make their imprint happy. As we understand it, this doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be lovers. If they make their imprint happy as a friend, a brother, a confidant or a protector, this would also suffice, but in our experience with this phenomenon until now, the relationship between a wolf and his or her imprint always turns out to be a romantic one, when both parties are of the proper age of course."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Dawn almost snarled in disbelief. "You want to tell me that _he_ claims to be my soulmate now? Have you ever heard of free will? Of being able to choose?"

"Dawn," Jake began carefully. "I understand that—"

"No! You don't understand anything! I didn't choose this. I came to Forks to help Bella and find out more about the vampires here, but not to be _imprinted_ on." She uttered the word _imprinted_ like a curse. "Especially not by some… some… _dog_!"

Jake recoiled again at her insult. "Is it because I'm a werewolf?" he asked in a small and hurt voice.

"What? No. I don't mind you being a wolf. That'd be a bit hypocritical of me. After all, Willow's first boyfriend had this furry little problem, too, and he was pretty cool and part of the gang. You can't help what you are, but you can help what you do. Tell me, what do you think of the Cullens?"

"The leeches?" Jake asked confused, probably wondering how they fit into this conversation, but when I saw that Dawn immediately narrowed her eyes at him, I realized that he had said the wrong thing. He seemed to understand that too, as he shrunk deeper into the cushions as if to escape Dawn's angry glare.

"That's _exactly_ what I mean. This close-mindedness you wolves seem to have. I get that vampires seem to be your mortal enemies, but the Cullens don't hurt anyone. As I said, it's not about what people are, but what about people do. Buffy had several friends who were or are demons, but they were good people. Xander's ex-girlfriend Anya was a thousand years-old ex-demon, Spike and Angel vampires, Clem a demon and…"

Dawn suddenly stopped her rant, as her mouth snapped shut. I had the impression that she hadn't been finished with her short but impressive list, but that she had just stopped herself from telling something that she didn't want us to know. She hesitated for a moment, before she nodded resolutely and continued,

"This close-mindedness is just another reason for why I would _never_ willingly become your _mate_. Even if you suddenly change your mind to make me happy, it won't work. You know, the window of the shop was open, when you and Bella talked." Oh shit, I just thought, as I saw Jake's eyes widen. "Yes, I've heard everything. I've heard how you warned Bella to stay away from me. And how this oh so suddenly, and without wanting an explanation from me, didn't seem to matter anymore, when you _imprinted_ on me. By doing this, you're betraying your own opinion. You told Bella I was dangerous, so stick with it until you hear good arguments that might convince you that you're wrong! Whether you're suddenly my soulmate or not doesn't change anything about that!"

Jake's face was incredibly pale and growing paler with each word that Dawn uttered, but she apparently wasn't finished yet.

"And as I said, I didn't choose this and I won't choose this. Buffy's life had been ruined, when she was called as a Slayer. She didn't have a choice and she died twice to save the world. None of the other girls, Bella included, had a choice, when they were called so that we could defeat the First Evil and its army of ubervamps. And I bet you weren't exactly happy, when you suddenly turned into a dog."

"You're right," Jake admitted, his voice still small and defeated. I wondered if any other girl had put up such a fight, when they found out that they had been imprinted on. Jake had mentioned that Emily had been angry at first, mainly because of Leah, but that she had quickly accepted the situation and fallen in love with Sam. But Jared's imprint Kim had been thrilled. And Claire seemed to be more than happy to have found a big brother in Quil. "I wasn't happy in the beginning, but I've gotten used to it and being a wolf certainly has its perks."

Dawn huffed, as she crossed her arms again. "You totally don't get me. I don't want to get used to it. I want a _choice_. I want to choose myself, who I'll be happy with. I want to date. I want to make mistakes. I want to share ice-cream with my sister, when my boyfriend breaks up with me. I want to kick a boy's ass, when I find him in a closet with another girl. This is all a part of growing up, of having my own free will. I'm sick of the supernatural or other people deciding for me and making me into what they want me to be. And I don't want a boyfriend who changes his whole self and everything he stands for, just so that I will like him. Until you understand all that, you better stay away from me, because believe me, I'll kick your ass, if you don't." Giving Jake one last glare, she rose from the couch and then turned to me. "Bella, can we go, please?"

"Of course." I wished I could stay with Jake, but Dawn needed a ride home and I had to admit that, as much as I wished I could side with Jake, I was with Dawn on this. This whole prospect of not having a choice as imprint had always bothered me a bit. I tried to give Jake a comforting smile, but he wasn't even acknowledging us, as he stared at the ground, deep in thought. Hopefully, he would soon understand where Dawn was coming from, so that he could have his happy ending. If not, I'll have a talk with him. Maybe I'll also be able to comfort him a bit. As I rose, too, I said, "Billy, it's been nice seeing you again, despite the circumstances."

"I understand," he said, as he accompanied us to the door. "And thanks for bringing my boy home, Bella."

"It was not my doing," I replied, feeling the blush rise in my cheek. "He had already been in Forks, when I met him. It would have only been a matter of time."

"Who knows…" Billy shrugged. We had reached the door and Dawn had walked ahead to the passenger side of the car. She didn't look back, and first looked up, when Billy called her name, "Miss Summers? Dawn? Please, don't be so hard on him. And think about what you've heard today. I do understand your opinion, but it's not as bad as you make it out to be."

I felt encouraged, when Dawn gave him a stiff nod, before disappearing in the car behind the dark windows. "Well then, Billy… Goodbye. I guess I'll see you soon." I walked to my side of the car and started the engine, which responded with a soft purr. I only sighed, still missing the comforting roar of my truck, but didn't say anything, as I turned the car and began the drive home.

The ride back to Forks was again spent in silence, but this silence wasn't as strained as the one on the ride to La Push. I guess it was connected to Jacob's not being there in the car with us. Now it was just us girls. I just hoped that Dawn wasn't mad at me anymore.

"Uhm… Dawn…" I finally said, when we were close to town. "Do you wish to go the Cullens' house or to my father's house?" I noticed with a pang that I've stopped referring to the house as 'our house' already some time ago, instead calling it Charlie's house in my mind.

She thought about it for a few seconds, before a light smile tugged at her lips. "I'd really like to go to your father's place, if you don't mind. I'd love to see what Alice and Esme have done with the bathroom in the last few hours and… if you don't mind… maybe I could spend the night? It's been a long time since I'd had a sleep over with just one girl."

"Sure," I replied, also smiling. I guess a sleepover with Dawn would be quite different compared with a sleepover with Alice. And if I interpreted the purpose of a sleepover correctly, one part might entail talking about boys, which meant that Dawn might want to talk about what had happened with Jake. "I'll have to ask Charlie, of course, but I don't think he'll mind. I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch. It's really comfy."

"Of course not." There was a dangerous and mischievous grin on her face, as Dawn raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't want to get in the way of some vampire cuddling in the middle of the night, after I've gone to sleep. And I take it I'm right, that Yumward is coming over tonight?"

"How-how do you know?" I asked, shocked, seeing as I hadn't told her about Yum—, er, Edward's nightly visits earlier today. However, it was only a split second later that I knew how she knew. "Alice…"

"Yep, Alice. We had a lot of time to talk last night and she told me quite a few things. But don't worry. Nothing too juicy. She kept everything quite harmless, really…" Dawn reassured me. "But if you want, we can talk about it later."

"Sure, sure…" I replied non-committally, in my mind already imagining what Alice might have told Dawn. None of what my imagination could come up with sounded even mildly comforting. But maybe it wouldn't be too bad, if I could talk about my relationship with Edward with someone who wasn't part of his family and yet knew what he was. Maybe Dawn had learned something about her sister's relationship with the two vampires, which might help me. Something that might convince even Edward that I'm not this breakable little human anymore.

Unwillingly, I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, but if Dawn noticed it, she didn't say anything. Instead, we spent the next few minutes in silence, until I pulled into the drive in front of Charlie's house, which, until recently, had still been my truck's drive. I sighed. I really wasn't going to get over my truck quickly, especially not with this over-the-top car now parked there.

"We're there," I announced completely unnecessarily. But the moment I said it, the back door was already thrown open and a very eager looking Alice was standing in the doorframe. Her lips were pressed tightly together and she was rolling back and forth on her feet. As it seemed, our dear Alice was nearly bursting with curiosity about what had transpired in La Push, as she hadn't been able to _see_ anything. I chuckled. "And we're expected."

"I can see that," Dawn retorted dryly, but with a light grin on her face. "Okay, ready for the Spanish Inquisition?"

Instinctively, I reached out and put a hand on Dawn's arm. "Dawn, you know that you don't need to tell Alice anything. She might be a bit too much sometimes, and won't stop until she gets the information she wants, but I still hope that there might be someone out there who could stop her."

Dawn shrugged. "I know, but won't she _see_ all of it anyway, if we decided to talk about this topic later?"

With a sigh, I realized that I was defeated. There really was no stopping Alice, short of moving to La Push and never setting foot over the treaty line again. "Wait…" I suddenly said, as I had an epiphany. "Actually… you're a genius, Dawn!"

"I am? I mean, of course I am. What did I say?"

I chuckled, as I leant over and whispered into her ear – even though I was sure that Alice could still hear every word I was going to say, "Decide, very firmly, that you and I are going to talk about what had happened at La Push today."

Dawn's eyes widened in understanding and a quiet giggle escaped her lips. She then squeezed her eyes shut and I chanced a glance at Alice, only to see that her gaze had become distant. She was having a vision. When Dawn opened her eyes again, she asked, "Did it work?"

"Let's find out."

As one, we opened the doors and stepped out of the car. Just as I had hoped, Alice had stopped her bouncing and was looking at us with a knowing look on her face. It appeared that my plan to get Dawn out of telling Alice everything herself had worked, I realized with a grin.

"Hi Alice," I chirped innocently, but ruined the moment of course, as my shoe caught on the tiniest pebble lying on the ground and stumbled. Luckily, Dawn grabbed my arm before I could fall in earnest and I regained my balance unexpected quickly. Being a Slayer really had its perks. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome," Dawn grinned. "Hey Alice. How's the bathroom coming along?"

"The bathroom's coming along very nicely," Alice replied. "And Charlie won't say anything about Dawn staying tonight. As a matter of fact, he's very pleased that you're making friends outside of our family." Suddenly Alice's lips formed a pout, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And how come I'm not invited to this sleepover?"

Rolling my eyes, I told her, "You know exactly, why. And _I _know that you've just seen what Dawn and I are going to talk about."

"I kno-ow," Alice whined. "But where's the fun with just the two of you? No makeover, no pillow fight, just talking… I mean, it isn't even a real sleepover, when Dawn sleeps on the couch in the living room. Maybe I should call Edward and tell him not to come over tonight?"

I could see Dawn shake next to me, but it wasn't in anger, as I first feared. No, it seemed as if she was going to burst out laughing any second. "Don't worry, Alice," she quickly said, her voice also shaking with suppressed laughter. "I'd never deprive Bella of her cuddle time with Yumward. The couch is okay, and I guess that I won't be able to stay up all night – again. Actually, I think I'm gonna have to go to sleep pretty early."

Alice's eyes glazed over again for second, before she sighed, "You're right… but next time, we will have the sleepover at my house and it will be a _real_ sleepover! No buts!" My groan went unheard, as Dawn agreed with her. Just what had I gotten myself into?

Hoping to change the topic, I asked, "When do you think the shower will be finished?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Alice told me without hesitating a second. "We've torn down all the old tiles, as well as thrown out the shower and the closets Charlie still had in there. We've left the toilet and the sink for tomorrow. Everything else is ordered and is going to arrive tomorrow morning at ten thirteen. But now, come on inside… Esme is just tidying up upstairs, so that you can use the bathroom almost normally tonight and tomorrow morning."

"That's great," I choked, as Dawn and I followed Alice inside and up the stairs.

"It is, isn't it?" Esme's voice greeted us. She sounded almost as enthusiastic as Alice about this project. "And then, when this is finished, I'm going to have a long talk with Charlie about the kitchen and the living room. He just has to realize that the TV isn't the only thing which has to be replaced after a certain amount of time."

"Good luck trying to tell him that," I grinned. "Can we help you somehow?"

"No, we're almost finished," Esme told us.

"But Charlie's going to come home in half an hour. Maybe you should start to prepare something to eat," Alice suggested.

After having made sure that Esme and Alice really didn't want or need our help – and after a little warning from Alice not to let Dawn cook anything on her own – Dawn and I went back downstairs and I pulled out the ingredients for some lasagna out of the fridge and cupboards and gave Dawn instructions on what to do, when she offered her help. Vowing to ask Alice later, why she didn't want Dawn to make dinner on her own, I began to work alongside her, every so often glancing over to her to make sure that she didn't cut herself or did something else that might hurt her.

However, very soon I realized what Alice meant with her warning, when Dawn began to make suggestions about how we could improve the lasagna. Some of her ideas were so outlandish – I mean, peanut butter? – that I thought I was going to be sick. It was a wonder that she hadn't poisoned herself or others, or that, for that matter, the pancakes this morning had been so delicious.

While we were working side by side, Dawn and I talked about nothing important, until the lasagna was finally in the oven. At this very moment, Alice and Esme also appeared downstairs, none of them looking as if they had just spent the whole day renovating the bathroom.

"Are you finished up there?" I asked them.

"For today," Esme told us. "We will be back tomorrow around ten. Will Charlie have to work tomorrow?"

I frowned, doing a quick mental calculation. Charlie had worked on Saturday, which meant that he'd had his free day today. Tomorrow was Tuesday, so that meant that he was back at work. "Yeah."

"That's good," Alice chirped. "So we won't have to send him fishing again. But now, we're going to leave you two. Dawn, I'm gonna bring you some clothes over, once we're home. I really can't have you run around in the same jeans and T-shirt two days in a row. You and Rose must be the same size."

"Oh, okay… thanks, I guess."

I really was a bad host. When Dawn had arrived with Mr. Giles the previous night, I hadn't even noticed that she hadn't brought any clothes with her, and this morning I hadn't even asked, if she had been home to pack some clothes, when she had brought Mr. Giles back from London through the portal. Apparently, she hadn't.

"Don't blame yourself, Isabella Swan," Alice suddenly chastised me, waggling her finger in front of my face. "You've had enough on your plate already without worrying about whether our guests have brought clothes or not."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, a blush once again coloring my cheeks.

"Good. And now, have fun, you two! I just _know_ that your night will be very informative. For both of you." With a wink, Alice grabbed Esme's arm, who also asked us to have fun, and pulled her out of the door, just at the same moment as Charlie's cruiser pulled onto the drive. Through the window I saw them talk for a minute or so – probably Alice and Esme informing him that the shower would be done tomorrow – before they got into Carlisle's Mercedes and Charlie came through the door.

Just as Alice had already predicted, Charlie really didn't mind that Dawn stayed over this night. He really seemed positively happy that I was getting along so well with her and so dinner was spent with comfortable small talk. Dawn told him a bit of herself and I was impressed with how she did this without betraying her secrets. Charlie was especially stunned to hear that she was one of the last persons who had left Sunnydale, before the town had disappeared in the sinkhole.

To answer his questions about how the school for gifted girls had come about, she told him that her sister and Mr. Giles had already planned for some time before Sunnydale had collapsed that they would open a school for gifted girls and that they first now had received the funding that was necessary to built up the school. This was also the reason, why they had only recently begun looking for suitable students.

Charlie believed every single world.

And to be honest, if I hadn't known the truth, I would have believed her as well. They truly had fabricated a credible story for the parents and other people who weren't supposed to know the truth.

After dinner, Charlie retreated to the living room to watch a game, but he promised that he wouldn't stay awake long today, seeing as he had to leave early for work, and that he would prepare the couch for Dawn, when he went to bed. Dawn thanked him for this and again for being allowed to stay with a bright smile, before she and I began to wash the dishes.

When I showed Dawn my room, we shouldn't have been surprised to find a backpack filled to the brim with clothes for Dawn waiting on my bed, courtesy of Alice and, I guessed, Rosalie.

"There're even pajamas," Dawn grinned, holding up the deep red pajamas made of the finest silk. "Didn't know vamps, who never sleep, need those."

Shrugging, I said, "That's the Cullens for you."

"Oh, and hey, look here!" Behind the backpack there was another, smaller bag, which Dawn quickly opened. Still grinning brightly, she held a huge bag of potato chips in one hand and a huge bar of chocolate in her other. On the bed I could also see two cans of coke. "Alice really watches too many teen movies."

"She just tries to make up for the human life she can't remember. And I'm usually her victim."

"I see… So, what do you say about getting changed and then tackling those?" Dawn once again held up our provision for tonight.

I laughed, as I grabbed my own – thankfully new and not the tattered and holey – pajamas from the rocking chair. "Sounds good. You can get changed here. I'll go to the bathroom."

With my pajamas in my hands, I slipped into the bathroom and got changed. It was a bit uncomfortable in the bathroom, with the bare walls and just a rug thrown over the floor so that we wouldn't have to walk on the stone floor, so I was more than glad that I could leave it again quickly.

I saw that Dawn was also clad in Rosalie's red pajamas and sitting cross-legged on my bed, as I finally opened the door. The bag of potato chips and the paper of the chocolate were already torn open. After having closed the door behind me, I joined her on the bed, also sitting down cross-legged across from her, and grabbed a handful of chips. "So… and what do you usually do during a sleepover?" I asked grinning.

Much to my surprise, Dawn began to laugh. "Actually, I have no idea. Sleepovers on the Hellmouth weren't exactly normal. Most of them were either interrupted by a vampire or a demon, or we had the most unusual guests. Or both. There was this one time, on Buffy's birthday two years ago, when we had an involuntary sleepover. It was really funny… or maybe, not really… kind of… I mean, it would have been, if it hadn't been for the demon trying to kill us and us not being able to leave the house because Halfrek had tricked me into making a stupid wish…"

And so more tales of her life on the Hellmouth began. I listened with rapt attention, soaking up everything she told me. Unlike this morning, Dawn didn't need to edit out of fear that someone might listen, not with Charlie being either engrossed in the game or snoring away on the couch. Everything she told me was truly fascinating and horrifying at the same time, what she told me about their final battles and the fates of the Slayers especially. Buffy dying twice, Kendra's death, Faith's descent into the darkness. So many deaths of friends and allies.

"This is really amazing," I marveled. "And you fought against all of this and have won? Wow. And a hell goddess? I mean, vampires and demons, okay… This, I'm already used to. But a hell goddess? What did she want? I mean, those big bads all want something, right?"

I noticed immediately that Dawn lowered her head slightly, averting my gaze. I had thought before that Dawn hadn't told me the full story of the fight against the hell goddess, when all the other fights against their big bads had been so detailed. But about Glory I only knew that she had been freakingly strong and that Buffy had died in that fight the second time – only to be resurrected by Willow a few months later -, but that was about it.

"You're right," Dawn mumbled eventually. "There was something. Glory… was after the Key."

"The Key? What was it?"

"A Key is… was… energy, designed to tear down the walls between the worlds... Glory needed the Key to return to her home dimension. The Key had been hidden very well and only crazy people or some animals like snakes or canines could see it for what it really was, green energy. But Glory found it and she almost succeeded to return home. The Key had been activated, but Buffy sacrificed her life to close the portals."

"P-Portals?" I asked, stunned. No, this wasn't possible. But opening portals… and what Jake had said this afternoon about a green glow around Dawn. It all started to make sense, and was so confusing at the same time. "You mean… the Key… it's…"

Dawn smiled shyly, as she looked at me uncertainly. "Tell me, Bella… How old do you think I am?"

"Uhm… seventeen, right?"

"My body looks seventeen, yes… the essence of me, the Key, is thousands of years old. No one knows exactly, how old it is. But the Key's had a human form, me, for about three years now."

What followed was an astonishing tale about monks giving a green blob of energy human form, about a girl being made out of the woman, she was going to be given to as a sister, about altered memories and the discovery of the truth. And then, in the end, about a sacrifice, because Buffy had known that she and Dawn shared the same blood.

"Wow…" I could only mumble. "That's so sad…"

"And that's not even all of it," Dawn said with a tired smile. "For two years after Glory was defeated, I was just a normal girl with a knack for ancient languages and getting into trouble. Until Willow activated all the Slayers. Because of Buffy's blood in my body, the dormant Key had been activated again, only now I can use this power and open portals at will. It took some training, but you see what I can do already."

"But that's pretty cool, isn't it?" I asked, confused as to why the smile on Dawn's face was still so gloomy. "I mean, being able to open portals all around the world is certainly something not everyone can do."

"Of course it is. And at first I was really excited about it and couldn't stop opening small portals, until it worked perfectly. But then I began to notice the side effect."

"Which side effect?"

"My body stopped aging. It was just small things – my nails and hair stopped growing, for example – that pointed to that fact, but after Will did some tests, she also noticed that my cells stopped doing their thing. Activating the Key did apparently not just activate its portal-opening powers, but also its agelessness. The energy of the Key is eternal, and so am I now."

Eternity. Immortality. All the things I wanted for myself, to be with Edward forever. I'd have my new family for eternity, but Dawn didn't have anyone. All of her friends, her family would die, but she would be left. "Oh, Dawn… I'm so sorry… that must be terrible for you."

"It was… and it still is scary as hell… but I learned, by accident actually, that I can manipulate my cells. It means, my body doesn't age on its own, but I can force it to age… and grow younger again. Imagine everyone's surprise that, when I threw a fit about that I would never grow old, my hair suddenly became grey and my face all wrinkly. And then, when, in my efforts to be younger again, I turned into a ten-years-old. Buffy took it pretty bad, and she didn't want to let me out of her sight for days afterwards, but eventually I convinced her to go ahead with her plan of going to Europe, and that I'd be safe enough with Giles and the others."

She giggled lightly, a mischievous twinkle having returned to her eyes, as she said this. I was glad to see this, because this meant that the situation wasn't as bad as I had imagined it and that Dawn would learn to live with it, eventually, if she hadn't already. But this explained a lot of things regarding her reaction to the imprinting and I finally understood completely what she had said about the supernatural making all the decisions for her.

"So, you won't be forced to stay seventeen forever?" I asked, just to make sure.

"Nope. If I want, I can force my body to age normally, or as normally as possible. Just think about being forty and not having a single wrinkle on your face."

This really sounded good, not that I planned on becoming forty – at least not physically. Somehow, after Dawn had been so honest with me, I felt the need to also be honest with her. She had just told me something, which probably no one outside of her friends and family knew, so I should return this favor. And, after all, I don't think I could keep my becoming a vampire secret from the Council for long. But before that, there was still something else I needed to say.

"You know… maybe this is one of the reasons why Jake imprinted on you." Dawn immediately stiffened, but I ignored her. "I mean, as long as he phases into a wolf, he won't age either. That's why he looks like twenty-five, when he's just seventeen. Before they phase for the first time, they experience an immense growth spurt, so that that their body is strong enough to fight as a wolf. But they also stay that way until they stop phasing."

"This… might be possible," Dawn admitted, but then crossed her arms again over her chest and pouted. "But I still don't like it. As long as he doesn't get over his prejudices and as long as he won't accept that I might have a choice in that matter, he should stay away. You know, it was no warning that I'd kick his ass."

"Oh, I know," I laughed quietly. "And believe me, for some of the things he's done, he really deserves some ass-kicking. Have I already told you that I broke my hand, when punched him?"

Her eyes went wide in surprise. "Why did you punch him?"

"He kissed me, even though I didn't want it. But I should have known better than to punch a werewolf."

"Oh yeah, right… I forgot… Until this afternoon, he was in love with you. I knew I had forgotten something in my rant. Well, I can bring it up the next time when he's an ass."

"Yeah, Jake can be stupid like that, but he's really a great guy. When Edward… had left me… he was there to pick up the pieces. He put me back together like a jigsaw puzzle and lit up every day that I spent with him. Thanks to him, I learned to live again. It was only half a life, but it was more than I'd had in the months directly after… You really should give him a chance." I grinned at her, pushing away the black hole that always threatened to come up, whenever I thought about the months without Edward and what his leaving had done to me. "Maybe you shouldn't let him jump into your bed or let him kiss you in the very beginning, but you could start out as friends. Get to know him, let him get to know you. Who knows, maybe you'll begin to like him and he'll begin to like you not just because of the imprinting, but because of who you are."

"I'll think about it, okay?" she asked, sounding clearly annoyed, but as she rolled her eyes playfully I knew that she wasn't angry at me for defending Jake and playing matchmaker.

"That's all I ask. For now."

"Okay… and now… change of subject." She grinned mischievously and I began to fear the worst. "You and Yumward… I know you've already told me plenty this morning, but I want to know more. It can't be all that innocent as you make it out to be. Kissing and cuddling and holding hands? This can't be all. I mean, you're getting married in a few weeks. And he's a _vampire_ for god's sake! Buffy and Spike brought down whole buildings, so there's got to be some juicy details. Spill."

Shaking my head and laughing lightly in embarrassment, I assured her, "That's really all we've done. Edward's too worried about hurting me. He's afraid that his control will slip and that he'll snap me in half or bite me. That's why he actually wanted to wait until I'm not breakable anymore to take the next step. But I got him to promise that we'd try in the wedding night." Help me! Were my cheeks as red as I thought they were?

But Dawn didn't even notice my embarrassment, because eyes just widened again, as realization set in. "Not breakable anymore? Oh. My. God. He's going to change you?"

I nodded my head slowly, not sure what to expect. However, the squeal of excitement was something I hadn't expected at all.

"That's sooo romantic! You're going to give up your life to be with him forever. Someone should write a book about it. I'm certain it will be a bestseller. And then it'd come out as a movie and all the girls would swoon over the actor who'd play Edward. Or maybe there'd even be a fight among the fans about who's better! Will you join Team Edward or Team Jacob?"

"So, you're not worried about this? I mean, Willow and Xander told me that all the Slayers that had been changed into a vampire were killed by the Council." I asked her, completely and utterly stunned by her outburst.

"Nah, of course not," she waved off my concerns. "Your vampires are the original vamps after all, still having a soul and all. And we're not the old Council anymore. So nothing to worry about. I just wish it would have been possible for Buffy. Or wait, no, I don't wish that. Buffy spending the rest of eternity with Angel? Come on! But if it were with Spike… now that would have been better. I mean, with Angel, Willow'd be so busy restoring his soul day after day. And suffering his brooding until the end of time? Thanks, but no thanks…"

I smiled in relief, as Dawn prattled on and on about who would have been the better choice for Buffy, Angel or Spike. Somehow, this sleepover had been a good idea, and I was glad that Alice hadn't been here with us. This had given us a chance to talk about things we probably wouldn't have talked about otherwise, and somehow I think that Dawn and I had just become good friends over our bonding.

While Dawn was talking, my new senses suddenly began to scream _vampire_ at me. But at the same time I knew that it wasn't bad. It was the same tingle I had felt all those past few weeks without really noticing it. It was the same tingle which always brought me comfort and happiness. _Edward_. I couldn't exactly pinpoint his location, but I guessed that he was hiding in the woods behind the house and waiting for Dawn to go to bed. And as much as I enjoyed talking to her, now that I knew that Edward was here, I really wanted to see him again.

Finally, at about nine thirty that night, shortly after Charlie had gone to bed, a huge yawn escaped Dawn's lips and she announced that it would be better if she went to bed now. She hadn't slept in more than thirty-six hours after all. After having wished me a good night – with a wink and the reminder that I'm not as breakable as I used to be, which of course sent another deep blush into my cheeks – she went into the bathroom and just a short moment later, I could hear her walk down the stairs. I quickly used this chance for my own human minute, knowing that Edward wouldn't wait long to come up to my room.

And indeed, the moment I had closed the door to my room behind me again, my unlocked window slid open and Edward slipped inside. Before I could even consciously react, I had nearly flown across the room and into his arms (I really had come to love those Slayer aspects!). And in the next second, I had my lips pressed against his, one of my arms wrapped tightly around his neck and the other hand entangled in his hair.

"Wow," Edward mumbled, as he gently pushed me away a few inches. "What was that?"

"I missed you," I just told him. "I haven't seen you all day."

"Yes, we have both been quite busy. Did you have a good day with Dawn?"

"Uh-huh," I sighed, as I once again leaned upwards to capture his lips. Once again, Edward pulled away too soon for my liking, but I was still smiling, as he took my hand and led me over to the bed, where we both lay down, with me cuddled against his cool chest. "We've experienced and talked about a lot of things, some of which you had heard, while you've been biding your time out in the woods for the last hour. And I think the rest you've seen in Alice's mind. And what about you? Did Mr. Giles tell you many interesting things?"

"Wait… How did you know that I've been here?" Edward asked confused.

"Slayer-senses," I just told him. "I always feel when someone of the supernatural is near. I'm even learning to distinguish between the different tingles, so that I can say which one belongs to whom."

"That's fascinating," Edward breathed, and I beamed. This was the first positive reaction to my being the Slayer that he'd had ever since the source of my new powers had been revealed. "So you'll always know when one of us is near. I wonder…"

"What?"

"How your new abilities will manifest, once you're one of us…"

"I have no idea. I guess we'll have to wait and see. By the way… I told Dawn… about this… She seems pretty cool with me becoming a vampire."

"I know… I've read it in her mind, as she went downstairs. She's an extraordinary person and it's a miracle that she still acts like a normal teenager, after everything that's happened."

"So… you know?"

I looked up at Edward and both saw and felt him nod. "It crossed their minds several times last night."

"They're all worried about her," I sighed, snuggling deeper into Edward's embrace.

"Naturally. But Dawn's an extremely bright and energetic girl. If anyone could bounce back from all of this, I think she'd be the one. Although," Edward chuckled deeply, "I honestly like that she dislikes Jacob."

"Oh, shush!" I rolled around and punched Edward's arm playfully, using more force on purpose so that he would even feel it. A surprised look crossed his face, as he seemed to have forgotten again that I was now much stronger than I used to be. Maybe I should remind him of this more often. "It will work out between her and Jake. I'm sure of it. She'll get around."

"If you say so." His eyes twinkled in amusement, however, I noticed how his hand absentmindedly touched the spot on his arm, where I had punched him. Maybe I really should remind him again of my new strength soon, so that he could get used to this. My determination to do exactly this was just strengthened by Edward's next comment. "However, at the same time, I can't help but be glad that Jacob has found his imprint."

"Why?" I breathed, as I gathered all my courage and slung my leg over Edward's waist, so that I was straddling him. A hiss escaped his lips, as I leaned over, my hair falling over my shoulders onto his chest.

"Because," he said slowly, watching me carefully, "now the only rival I have to worry about is Mike Newton."

"Oh Mike," I sighed. "How could I ever forget him?" I lowered my lips to his and caught his lower lip between my teeth.

Before I could do anything, Edward had grabbed my arms and I was lying on my back with Edward leaning over me. "What are you doing, Bella?" he hissed.

"Trying to prove to you that I'm no longer as breakable and weak as you still see me," I told him bluntly.

He closed his eyes and his right hand ran through his messy hair. "Still no sense of self-preservation," he muttered to himself, much to my annoyance, before he opened his eyes again. "Bella… please, I promise that you can prove it to me, but not now. And not like this."

"Why?" I asked, once again feeling those stupid tears in my eyes. Why, oh why did it always feel like a rejection, when Edward pulled away? I quickly blinked those tears away, hoping that Edward hadn't noticed them.

"For one, you have a guest downstairs in the living room, and second, while I'm trying to understand that you are now much stronger than before and less breakable, and that it would open so many new possibilities for us, I still can't jump in at the deep end like this. I-I need to prepare. I need to know what's expecting me. At least in the beginning. How it will be, after we have practiced for a while, I can't say yet. But please, give me some more time, before you pull stunts like that."

His golden eyes looked as hurt as I felt and I swallowed hard. "Okay… I'll give you some time. But promise that we _will_ practice."

"I promise," he vowed and leaned down to kiss me slowly and sensually, leaving me dizzy, as he pulled away. His crooked grin graced his face, as he murmured, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I sighed and gently pulled him down to lie next to me, so that I could snuggle up to him again. I wasn't really tired, but after Edward had hummed the first few notes of my lullaby, I felt my eyes droop.

"Goodnight, my Bella. Sleep well," were the last words I heard, before sleep claimed me.

I was in the field where the Cullens and the wolves had fought against Victoria's army of newborns. Growls echoed in the distance and a dark line crept inexorably closer. I could feel my heart beat fast in my chest, and my hand, which was clutched around my weapon, was drenched in cold sweat.

"They will find out," a voice echoed behind me, and I whirled around. It was the same olive-skinned and yet pale girl I had already dreamed about the night before. "And then they'll come. They don't like what we are."

"What are you talking about? Who are they, and what are we?" I wanted to know, as I kept staring at her. She still looked familiar to me, and at the same time I knew that I had never met this girl before.

"You'll find out, soon." Her words sent a shiver of terror down my spine. I wanted to ask her more question, but she was gone, and so were the growls and the enemy. I was completely alone in that field. But her voice remained, as she uttered three more words. "She will _see_."

Darkness descended upon me and I woke up, barely managing to stifle my scream.


	10. Vision

**A/N: First of all, I'm incredibly sorry for the long wait. But I have good news! I have a job as substitute teacher since October and then, on February 1, I'll begin my further education to become a real teacher (here in Germany you first have to go to university to study two subjects and then stuff like psychology, pedagogic and so on, and then, once you've got your degree, you'll go on to your preparation, which means that you'll be further educated to become a teacher in school by being a teacher. You have a mentor and tests and all that stuff that help you to become better, and this is what I'll start coming February.). **

**Second, I just loved your reviews! I was a bit worried about how you would react to Dawn's reaction and her story and I'm glad to you like it! I just hope you're still here with me, to read what's going to happen in rest of the story, starting with this chapter:**

* * *

**Vision**

„And you're sure that you don't know this girl and that you have never seen her before?" Mr. Giles asked as he placed his glasses once again on the bridge of his nose and returned his attention to the small notebook in his hands.

"Other than in my dream the night before, no," I told him, and everyone else who was present.

It was around noon and we had been at the Cullen's house for not even fifteen minutes, and already I had had to recount the contents of that dream and the similar dreams I'd had before for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

* * *

When I woke up screaming because of the dream – a shudder still ran through me, when I remembered the ominous dark line and the girl's warning words – Edward immediately hugged me tightly against his chest, which effectively muffled my scream so that Charlie wouldn't wake up. My whole body was shaking, but he was rubbing gentle circles on my back and whispered soothing words into my ear, so that I quickly relaxed in his embrace.

Once I had calmed down enough I expected Edward to ask me what was wrong, but he surprised me by simply stating that it was just a bad dream and that I should go to sleep again. I wanted to protest, as I saw the extremely worried look on his face, but he just said that I could tell him about the dream later, if I wanted to. And then, before I could open my mouth again, he gently laid me back down on my bed and curled himself around me, all the while humming my lullaby so insistently that I couldn't help but relax further. My eyes closed almost on their own volition and I fell again into a fitful sleep shortly after. It was still dark outside, after all, and my exhaustion of the previous days still too great, so that not even a nightmare could keep me awake for long.

I hadn't known then that my dream would become the topic of a hot discussion just a few hours later.

After having fallen asleep again, I didn't dream again, but I remembered that I woke up every so often, until the light grey sky outside told me that it was day and probably later than I'd expected. Actually, if it hadn't been for the voices and noise from the hallway, added to the fact that Edward wasn't lying next to me, I doubted I would have woken up at that time.

Groggily, I climbed out of my bed and stumbled to the door. A quick glance to my alarm clock told me that it was almost eleven o'clock in the morning, which meant that all the stuff for the bathroom must have arrived already. And with this realization, I wasn't really that surprised to see Esme and Alice in full working gear standing in the hall outside my room, obviously already expecting me. Of course, only vampires could make a dark blue overall look like something that belonged on a catwalk. Edward was still nowhere to be seen, but I wasn't worried. My spider sense told me that he was near – downstairs to be more precise.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Alice chirped with a bright smile on her face. "I hope we didn't wake you."

"Morning," I mumbled, still a bit sleepily, effectively ignoring her unasked question, when both she and I knew exactly that they were part of the reason why I had woken up. "Since when have you been here?"

"Oh, for about an hour…" Alice replied grinning widely. "If we had worked at vampire speed, we would have been finished already, but this is just sooo much fun that we decided to do this just a tad bit faster than you humans would do it."

"Uh-uh," I just muttered again, marveling again at Alice's enthusiasm. "I-I think I'm just gonna get some breakfast. You two go ahead with whatever you've been doing."

"Of course, Bella," Esme said with a gentle smile. "You must be starving after having slept for so long. And I think we'll be finished before Charlie returns from work, so you two will have a brand new and fully functional bathroom by tonight."

"That'd be great," I told her with an appreciative smile, though I still felt a bit bad that they were doing this for us. After all, it had been me who had destroyed the shower, so it should be me who had to pay for the damage. But I just knew what the Cullens would say, if I told them this – that I was a part of their family and that their money was my money. So there was no way that I'd be able to persuade them to let me pay for it from my own money.

I watched, as both Alice and Esme went back into the bathroom, before I went down the stairs and into the kitchen. Halfway down, I could already smell the delicious scents of breakfast – eggs, bacon and toast were just a few of the scents that I could make out. All those scents let my stomach grumble in anticipation. Esme was right – I really was starving. I hurried down the last few steps and I wasn't surprised that it was Edward who was standing at the stove, with Dawn sitting at the kitchen table, still in her pajamas. She was already munching on a piece of toast and the two of them were laughing about something.

"Good morning," I greeted them, much more cheerfully than I had greeted Alice and Esme upstairs. I skipped up to Edward, who was expecting me with a warm, but slightly worried smile. Hoping that he wouldn't touch the subject of my dream last night, I gave him a quick good morning kiss and then slumped down on an empty chair at the kitchen table and asked, "So, what's for breakfast? The human is hungry."

"I have eggs," Edward told me, as he handed me a plate filled with them and then joined us at the table. "Just as you like them."

"Thanks!" Hoping to appease my grumbling stomach – by now, even the non-vampires in this house could hear it – I began eating my eggs. Edward was right, they were just as I liked them. After having devoured the first few bites, I turned my attention to Dawn, who was finished with her breakfast and was now cradling her mug of hot cocoa in her hands. "Did you sleep well, Dawn?"

"Uh-hu," she nodded, grinning. "You were right. The couch is really comfy and it was nice not having to share a house with twenty other teenagers. And how was your night?" Dawn winked at me, which caused my face to heat up again immediately.

"I-uh…" I hesitated for a second, not really knowing if I should tell her about my weird dream. A dream which still caused me to shiver. "I didn't sleep that well. I had a nightmare."

"Ooh…" Dawn's eyes went wide, as she suddenly began to look slightly excited. "Was it a normal nightmare or of the Slayer dream variety?"

"Slayer dream?" Edward asked her, his voice sounding both curious and wary. His eyes immediately darkened, as he listened to Dawn's thought and I became slightly worried myself.

Nodding again, Dawn clarified, "Prophetic dreams. They're usually really cryptic and… weird. They're warnings to the Slayer about something that will happen. Buffy had a couple of those in the last few years and they usually foreshadowed nothing good. So, was it a normal dream you had, or a Slayer dream?"

I didn't know what to say, as both Dawn and Edward looked at me expectantly. None of them knew the contents of my dream and now, after I had heard Dawn's description of a Slayer dream, I wasn't so sure anymore, if I wanted them to know. Because all those things she said matched my dream exactly. Weird – check. Cryptic – double check. Prophetic – I didn't know, yet, but certainly hoped not. If it was, Dawn was right again, because whatever was advancing towards me in my dream wasn't good.

"Bella?" Edward's concerned whisper tore me out of my thoughts. He took my hand and entwined his fingers with mine. "What is it?"

I raised my head and looked into his butterscotch colored eyes. "Slayer dream." My voice shook in fear and immediately I felt Edward's strong arms around me, pulling me on his lap and holding me tightly against his chest. I hadn't wanted to believe it, but the moment those words had left my mouth, I knew them to be true. This dream was, as Dawn had put it, foreshadowing something that would threaten my family – again. When would it ever stop?

With my face buried in Edward's chest, I only heard the light footsteps nearly flying down the stairs and a hushed conversation much too quiet and quickly to understand for humans.

"Bella," Dawn's quiet voice caused me to look up again. Just as I had suspected, Alice and Esme had joined us in the kitchen, both of them looking extremely worried. "What was this dream about?"

My whole body was trembling, but Edward's supporting hold on me gave me the strength to tell them about the dream. "We-we were on the field… where you guys fought Victoria's army. And there were growls and a dark line… and a girl. She kept warning me that they were coming…"

"They? Who?"

"I don't know." I shook my head, answering Edward's question. "I really don't know."

"Hush… Everything will be alright," Edward tried to comfort me, as I saw Dawn get up from the chair and disappear for a moment in the living room, until she returned with her mobile phone to her ear just a few seconds later. "She's calling Giles. I think it's best if we went over to our house and talk about this in detail."

I nodded numbly, only vaguely registering Dawn's worried voice talking into her cell phone, as Edward was already lifting me effortlessly into his arms and carrying me upstairs. He must have done that at vampire speed, because one moment we were still in the kitchen and in the next, I was sitting on my bed, with Edward going through my closet, obviously trying to find something for me to wear.

Mortified, I immediately jumped up again, as he neared my underwear drawer. "I can do this!" I squeaked. Edward looked at me questioningly, and my face heated up. "You-you should go help Alice and Esme finish the bathroom… I'm sure they want to come, too."

Edward was still regarding me with a puzzled and worried look on his face. "Are you sure?"

Nodding eagerly, I replied, "Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you in a few minutes…"

"Alright." If it was possible for a vampire to move reluctantly, Edward was doing this at that very moment, as he slowly pressed his lips against my forehead and almost even more slowly left my room and closed the door behind him.

I breathed a sigh of relief, once he was gone, the blush still staining my cheek, as I thought about what Edward might have discovered in my underwear drawer. I had been on too many shopping trips with Alice lately, during which she had always bought me some sexy underwear that I would _never_ wear. I really didn't want Edward to see it. It would be far too embarrassing.

And at least that moment had completely taken my mind of the matter at hand – the dream – which now came back at full force. I shook my head. Wallowing and despairing wouldn't help me. I was a fighter now, I had to act. And this would begin with getting a grip on myself and my emotions and get dressed.

Edward had already thrown my favorite pair of jeans onto the bed, along with a blue T-Shirt, which I put on after I had gotten dressed in clean underwear. A quick run with my brush through my hair and I pulled it into a knot at my neck. Now I just needed to brush my teeth and I was ready to go.

With my toothbrush in my hand, I rushed down the stairs to find Dawn already leaning over the kitchen sink with her own toothbrush in her mouth. When she saw me, she grinned slightly and moved to the side so that we both could use the sink. Just as we both were rinsing our mouth, my three vampires came down the stairs, not looking at all as if they had just renovated a whole bathroom within a couple of minutes.

"You're done already?" Dawn asked, stunned. At Alice's nod, Dawn brushed past me and ran up the stairs, only to yell, "Whoa! That's sooo cool! I mean, I knew you guys were fast, but this… wow!"

Even I was a bit surprised, although I knew that my vampires were really fast. But then again, I hadn't seen what Alice and Esme had already done before I had woken up. Curious, I followed Dawn upstairs – if we didn't have those few minutes, I was sure Alice or Edward would say something – and stopped dead in my tracks, once I was standing in the doorframe. This didn't look like our old bathroom at all.

Everything was new. The toilet, the sink, the cabinets and the shower itself of course. The shower looked so modern, with so many buttons and extras that I momentarily wasn't sure, if Charlie knew what to do with all of them. The tiles were white and light blue, making the whole room a lot lighter. I was sure that, once he had gotten over being overwhelmed by this, Charlie would like it.

"You've done a great job," I told Alice, Esme and Edward, who had followed us upstairs.

"Thank you, Bella… and thank you for giving us the chance to do this for you and for Charlie," Esme told me.

"Now, this is all really great," Dawn suddenly said, sounding urgent. "But I'd _really_ appreciate it, if you'd give me some space."

The three vampires exchanged quick confused glances, until I mouthed 'human minute' to them with a grin on my face. Realization dawned on their faces and they at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Honestly," I said with a mock grin, "one would think that having a human around most of the time would give you an inkling of what we need."

"We apologize, Dawn," Edward said, pointedly ignoring my grin, though his lips were also pulled slightly upwards. "Take all the time you need. We will wait downstairs for you."

Dawn nodded and closed the door directly in their faces. I chuckled and used the chance to take Edward's hand and pull him away from the bathroom and back downstairs into the kitchen.

"That was so embarrassing!" I heard Esme mumble, as she and Alice walked behind us. "I can't believe I forgot something like this!"

"Don't worry, Esme," I reassured her. "I'm sure Dawn understands, what with you not having that… need."

"But what about you, Bella?" Esme's motherly side was now fully active. "Do you also need a human minute?"

Edward chuckled, as my face flamed red again and I shook my head. "No, I'm fine, thanks."

Thankfully, I was saved by Dawn, as she came back down, and we were ready to go, the mood around us suddenly turning much more serious again.

* * *

And that's how we came to sit in the Cullen's living room, Edward's arm around my shoulder and, surprisingly, Rosalie sitting on my other side, with me having told everyone what I remembered of the dream. It had been hard to remember the details, and I was sure that I had forgotten something, but it couldn't be that important, right? Twice, a strange girl with darker skin had appeared in my dream and the second time she had warned me that someone was coming. Twice, I heard growls in the distance and twice I saw a dark line approach. I had relayed all of this to Mr. Giles and the Cullens, but none of them seemed to know what it might mean.

Other than the fact that there might be someone out there, who will attack us.

"But," Xander finally broke the silence that had settled, after I had answered some questions, "I still don't get what this girl in your dream was talking about. Who is coming? What is it they don't like? And who will see what?"

It was Alice, who answered him, "I think I know what this dream wants to say with the last part. I guess I'm the one who will _see_… and what? I can only think of what will happen and who will come."

"That makes sense," Carisle mumbled in agreement. "At least a part of this riddle is solved. As for the others, I hope time will tell, if no one else has any idea what Bella's dream could mean."

"Before it's too late," Rosalie muttered next to me, loud enough for everyone to hear, just as she had apparently wanted it to be. Once every gaze was directed at her, my surprised one included, she said, "So you're basically saying that we have no other choice but to wait until Alice has her vision or something else happens? What if this… threat is suddenly on our doorstep?"

"Alice will see it before it happens," Carlisle tried to reassure her.

"You can't be sure of that," Rosalie contradicted. "We're dealing with something completely new here. Alice didn't see what happened to Bella, she can't see the dogs, so what makes you think that she can see this? Why don't we ask our guests how they usually deal with situations like this?" She looked pointedly at Mr. Giles, Willow and Xander, raising an eyebrow, as they didn't answer at once. "After all, if everything they've told us is true, they've been dealing with this quite regularly."

"Hey! Everything is true!" Willow spoke up indignantly. "And we always do some research. We're really good at research."

I almost smiled at Willow's tendency to babble when she was nervous, but the situation was too serious. And if I was honest, I was really interested in the answer to Rosalie's question. As much as I loved Alice, I knew that her visions weren't infallible, no matter how much we wished they were. The wolves were just one example of how her visions failed. And if Mr. Giles could somehow figure out, what we were up against, I'd be really grateful.

"Could you do that?" I asked hopefully. "Could you find information about this by researching my dream?"

Another nervous habit I had noticed among our guests was that Mr. Giles often cleaned his glasses, as he was doing again now, as he answered my question, "It might be possible. But your situation is, if I may put it that way, quite unique, so I can't say for sure, if there is something we can find out by doing simple research. There might, however, be a prophecy."

"A prophecy?" Edward asked and immediately his whole body tensed up against mine, as he obviously heard something in their thoughts that he didn't like.

I turned around in his embrace. "Edward? What's wrong? Tell me. What's this about a prophecy?"

"Nothing," he hissed through clenched teeth, but as I followed his gaze, I saw him glaring at Xander.

"Xander?" I asked immediately. Edward was getting overprotective again, but I needed answers. "What are you thinking?"

Shaking his head slightly, Xander said, "That nothing good ever comes out of a prophecy. Prophecies have told us more than once that the world would end and one even predicted Buffy's death. But until now, we have somehow managed to avert them. The world hasn't ended, yet, and Buffy is still alive."

"So you think that, if we figure out what this dream means for me, we could keep it from coming true, or maybe fight it?" I wanted to know.

Xander just shrugged with a slight grin on his face. "It's what we do. So don't worry, Bella. We'll find a way out of this. I promise."

The sincerity in his eye and his voice helped me to relax a bit. "And what do we do now?"

To answer my question, Dawn jumped up from the chair she was sitting on and grinned at me brightly with an eagerness that was slightly scary. "We'll do some research."

"Yesss!" Emmett jumped up and pumped his fist in the air. "Finally some action around here. It was slowly getting boring."

"Uhm, Emmett," Jasper cleared his throat. "You do realize that you will need to read a lot of books to do research."

It was almost comical to watch Emmett's face fall at those words. "Oh nooo!"

And it wasn't just me, who was thinking this, as Dawn burst out laughing and walked up to him to pat his shoulder in pity. "Don't worry, Em… It isn't that bad to read through countless dusty old books, which are written in languages that most humans have never heard of. You'll get used to it and might learn something. Just take me as example – since I've begun to help with the research, I've become nearly fluent in Sumerian and some other ancient languages."

Emmett just looked at her as if she'd grown a third head, with wide eyes and an open mouth. I had never seen a vampire this flabbergasted and even though I was also stunned by Dawn's revelation – ancient languages, honestly? - , I couldn't help it any longer. I laughed with Dawn and soon the rest of the Cullens and Dawn's friends joined in. In the end even Emmett saw the humor in the situation and began to shake in raucous laughter.

* * *

After the decision to find out what my dream could mean by doing research, the next three days passed almost in a blur. Mr. Giles, Willow and Dawn went back to England through the portal and returned only a short time later with huge stacks of old books. My heart soared upon seeing that most of these books were at least one or two centuries old, if not older. My fascination was shared by Carlisle, who regarded each and every single book he touched with childlike wonder. I guessed that he didn't come across books that predated him very often.

The dining table at the Cullens' quickly became headquarters of research, with the every other room becoming subdivisions. Some of the books I even brought with me, when I went back to Charlie's each night. I cooked him dinner, we ate together and then I spent an hour or two with him in the living room, watching TV.

My time with Charlie was limited, after all, and I wanted to spend as much quality time as possible with him, especially now with this threat once again hanging over all our heads. I wanted him to be happy, so I was really relieved that he loved the new bathroom and had thanked Esme and Alice profusely for having done this. Right now, Esme tried to talk him into letting her redecorate the kitchen and the living room, but Charlie won't hear anything of it, yet. I, however, thought it would only be a matter of time until he surrendered.

After my quality time with Charlie, I went back to my room, where Edward was always waiting for me, and together we read some more in our ancient books – Edward being much quicker than me of course – before he urged me to go to bed sometime after midnight. I, and I just knew the others did too, had been kind of hoping that I would have dreams with more information about what was going to come, but my nights were really peaceful. No weird dreams, nothing. And then, after breakfast the next morning, I went back to the Cullens' house, under the pretense of being forced by Alice to help her with the wedding preparations.

However, on the third day of research, which, much to Emmett's relieve didn't just include books, but also the internet, I was getting antsy. With the Cullens' reading speed and having all night, they had gone through countless books and made notes on numerous pages about things that could be related to us, and yet, none of them, or others, had found anything.

Honestly? I wasn't feeling that I was helping much. And I was once again glad that Edward couldn't read my mind, when an idea slowly started to form.

I was a Slayer.

And if I were to go by the description of what a Slayer was made for, I could clearly say that she wasn't made for research.

For thousands of years, the Watchers had been the researchers, while the Slayers had been the tool to fight the forces of darkness.

I was a fighter. And my whole being screamed at me to do something more proactive than research.

My fingers were itching. My nights were getting restless once again. And the proximity of the vampires didn't help either.

I wanted, no, needed to go out and fight.

But first, I needed to know, how.

And with this thought in my mind, I approached Mr. Giles during one of the breaks on the third day of research. Everyone was lounging around, enjoying a quick snack or just the break from reading the whole morning. Xander was sitting on the couch, his head thrown back and his eyes closed, as he moaned pitifully and demanded doughnuts, which Willow immediately brought over.

Mr. Giles, however, was still absorbed in one of the text, so he looked up startled, when I cleared my throat. "Ah, Bella… what can I do for you?"

His question immediately got the attention of every person in the room, including Edward, whose gaze I could now feel burn into my back. I began to fidget slightly, but knowing that I needed to ask this, I straightened my shoulders and said, "Mr. Giles… I mean, Giles," I corrected myself. After all, he had told me several times over the past few days that basically no one of the younger generation ever called him Mr. Giles, after they had picked up the nickname the Scoobies had used for him since they were sixteen (and please, who called themselves after a cartoon group?). "I've been thinking."

I swore that I could hear Edward move on the armchair behind me, as he heard that I'd been thinking. "What about, Bella?" Giles asked, his voice sounding curious.

"I… I…" Come on, Bella, I berated myself. Spit it out. "I want to learn how to fight. No, I need to learn."

A split second later, I felt Edward's hard, protective arms around me, pulling me against his chest. "No, Bella," he whispered into my ear. "You don't need to fight. I can protect you. _We_ can protect you."

With a quiet sigh, I gently broke out of Edward's embrace and turned around to look into his eyes. "Edward, please… Let's not argue about this. I need to do this. And I want to be able to defend myself."

"I don't like it," he mumbled.

"I know. And I know that you'll always protect me, but this is something that I have to do. I no longer want and have to be the damsel in distress. Please, just understand this and let me do this."

Finally, after endlessly long seconds, Edward closed his eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly. I squeezed his hand and gave him a short and soft kiss, as I mumbled 'thank you' against his lips. Without letting go off his hand, I turned back to Giles and asked, "Will you teach me?"

"If you want me to, Bella, I will. Or we might even ask another, more experienced Slayer to help. After all, I'm not the youngest Watcher anymore and you Slayers have become a lot stronger thanks to the spell. I'm not sure, if I can keep up with you. But if you'd like me to, I'd contact another Slayer and ask her to train you."

I gave him a big grateful smile. "I'd love that." Training with a real Slayer! I couldn't wait! "When can we start?"

"I'll call her immediately and she could be here within the next hour, I'm—"

Whatever Giles wanted to say, was suddenly interrupted as one of Esme's priceless porcelain vases dropped to the floor. I spun around, wondering which Scooby had been so clumsy to break it, but my eyes went wide as I stared into Alice's wide and unfocused golden ones. She was having a vision.

And at the very same moment, looking into Alice's golden eyes, I finally remembered the most crucial part of my dreams. Golden eyes.

"Alice!" Jasper was at her side within a second, holding her tightly. "What do you see?"

"No!" Edward hissed in disbelief. I looked at him and almost recoiled. Every muscle was tense, his face contorted in a grimace of pain and horror. "No!"

"Edward? Alice?" Carlisle asked worried. "What's going on?"

"They're coming," Alice's feeble voice finally answered.

"Almost all of them," Edward finished Alice's sentence.

"Who?" Jasper wanted to know.

Edward and Alice exchanged one worried, pointed look, before Alice answered, "The Volturi. Almost the whole guard."

Esme gasped in shock. "The Volturi?", while Rosalie simply snarled, "No!"

"Why?" Emmett asked.

"When?" Jasper immediately added.

I could make out Xander's confused voice, forming the question, "Who?"

"Why?" Edward only repeated.

Golden eyes. They don't like what we are. "Because of me," I finally mumbled. The vampires heard me of course and their heads whipped around to me.

Carlisle just shook his head, obviously not understanding why his old friends would bring almost their whole guard to Forks. "But I've told them that the date is set. They can't come because of you, Bella. They know that I'll always keep my word."

I just smiled sadly at Carlisle, understanding his confusion. "But it's true. They're coming because of me. Because of what I am, and because of what I will become."


	11. Faith

**A/N: Hey there again… a short update on my life: I've started my further studies to become a teacher, which means a lot of teaching, and planning lessons and meetings and lots of other stuff that's robbed me of almost all of my beloved time. But I finally finished this chapter! (Yay me!) It's not as long as some others, but I thought this was a good place to stop. **

**So, not much more to say… except have fun reading and I'd be happy, if you left a review!**

**Tschüß until next time! (Tschüß is one German word for goodbye, btw.)**

* * *

**Faith**

I saw understanding slowly dawn on Carlisle's face, as I uttered those fateful words. And deep inside, I knew they were true. I heard Edward growl deeply, when he read Carlisle's thoughts, but everyone else was still looking at me cluelessly. My gaze swept around the room, as I quickly explained, "There was one thing I forgot, when I told you about my dream. I've just remembered it now. The girl, she's not just a Slayer. She's also a vampire. One like you. Her eyes were golden and even though her skin was dark, it was also pale. And… and that's why she said that the Volturi don't like what she is."

"So, you're saying that these Vultures aren't too keen on Slayers becoming vampires, right?" Xander asked, still sounding confused. I nodded at him, my lips pressed tightly together. Ever since they had found me, I had been debating on whether to tell them about my future or not. Dawn had taken the news surprisingly well, but I had no idea about how Xander and Willow, and the rest of the Council for that matter, would take the news of my becoming a vampire in the not so distance future. "Okay… I mean, I get why they wouldn't like that girl from your dream, but why would they come here? You're not a vampire after…" Xander trailed off, as the realization of what this meant was sinking in. "Oh…"

"Oh!" Willow exclaimed, as she also finally understood what this meant. "Of course… now I feel really stupid…"

Giles glanced back and forth between Willow and Xander, before his gaze eventually settled on me. "Bella, do I understand this correctly that you are planning on becoming a vampire? And that the Volturi are aware of this?"

I looked Giles straight in the eyes, holding my head high. I had had to defend my decision too often to back down now. "Yes, I will be changed after the honeymoon. Before my nineteenth birthday."

Instead of the scolding and discussion I had expected, Giles allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips. "I can't say it's completely unexpected. However, under the usual circumstances the Watchers' Council would need to interfere and do anything in their power to keep this from happening."

My whole body tensed, ready to react to whatever Giles and the others would do. A quick glance around told me that I wasn't the only one who was reacting like this – Willow, Xander and Dawn had risen from their seats, uncomfortable looks on their face, and the other Cullens also stood very still, but no doubt ready to move at a moment's notice. Still, not _all_ Cullens were prepared to attack – much to my surprise the one person I had expected the worst reaction from was standing calmly at my side. My favorite crooked grin was on Edward's face, as he put a calming arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. I looked up at him questioningly, but his eyes were directed at Giles. Edward nodded only once, I guess to answer one of Giles' thought questions, but before I could demand to know what they were talking about, Giles spoke again.

"But," he said, "these aren't the usual circumstances. I have no doubt that the old Council would have you all destroyed immediately, no questions asked, but as the Head of the new Council, it is fortunately my decision. Bella, I am now going to ask you a question and I would like you to answer me honestly. Will you do that?"

I could only nod, a sudden lump constricting my throat. Edward was gently massaging my neck, but I couldn't relax. I dreaded the question Giles was going to ask.

"Bella, when you made the decision to become a vampire, were you aware of the consequences this transformation will have – not just on you, but also on your family, your friends, the life you have known until now?"

"You mean that I've made an informed decision? That it isn't just a rash decision on my side, but that I've really considered everything?"

"Exactly." Giles absentmindedly took off his glasses and began to polish them with a handkerchief.

I smiled a little, relieved that this question was easy to answer. "The answer is yes. Giving up everything, my old life, my family and my friends, is not something I will do lightly." As a matter of fact, I knew that it would hurt a lot to give up my parents, to never talk to Angela again, to never be able again to go outside in sunlight unless I knew for certain that there were no humans around. "But I love Edward. We… we both know that we can't live without each other and I'm sure that this is my future. It might even be my destiny to be with Edward and his family forever. Otherwise fate would have never brought me back to Forks, a place I used to hate with a passion. This is where I belong."

I gazed up at Edward, who was regarding me with such a loving look, his golden eyes almost smoldering as they burned into mine, that I once again felt the telltale blush creep up my cheeks. But I was still smiling. Everything I had said was true – this was my destiny, Edward was my future. I raised my hand to touch Edward's face, but Giles suddenly began to talk again, interrupting this magic moment between me and my fiancé.

"Very well." Giles put his cleaned glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "Bella, you are very lucky that we're not the old Council anymore. And that the Old Ones are a demon breed that is still in possession of its soul. You have my word that once the transformation is complete, the Council will never harm you or your family. I have faith that none of you will ever drink from humans, at least not intentionally. Accidents can happen of course, as has been shown throughout history of the Slayer."

"Thank you," I breathed, the tension in my body giving way to the relief I felt now. I found my eyes wandering to Xander and Willow – while I knew that Dawn was already supporting me, their opinion was somehow also important to me already. "Are you guys okay with that?"

Willow nodded, her eyes glistening surprisingly with unshed tears. "Of course. You have the chance that Buffy had never had with Angel. He didn't even have the choice to turn her, or she would have become a soulless demon. And if they had stayed together, he would have had to watch her grow old and die in the end, while he stayed young. So he broke up with her, wanting her to have a normal life But I still don't think that she's over him. But if you have the chance to have the happiness that Buffy never had, I'm okay with you becoming a vampire, Bella."

"That's just what I wanted to say, well, not in that many words, but I'm cool with it. You guys," Xander said to the Cullens, "are fine people and so very different from the other vampires. You'll be a good family for Bella. Or, let me put it this way, you better be a good family for Bella. I'm very protective of our girls."

Emmett laughed out loud, when he heard this threat. "And what are you gonna do, when we're not a good family, Harris?"

Xander simply shrugged with an evil grin on his face. "Buffy once pulverized an apparently unkillable demon with a rocket launcher. And I think I still know how it works. So, be warned, Em."

"I'll keep that in mind," Emmett snickered. "So, a rocket launcher, huh?"

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "Hey, maybe we can use one against those vulture guys."

Silence settled immediately over our group, when Xander mentioned the Volturi. Despite our small discourse and the banter, this most likely unavoidable confrontation was still hanging over our heads like a dark ominous cloud.

"What are we going to do now?" I finally asked in a small voice. They were after me, I had brought them here. It was my fault that Carlisle would have to face his old friends in a battle that we couldn't win.

Edward's hand left my shoulder and squeezed my hand instead. "We'll find a way out of this," he promised me.

"Alice," Carlisle asked, "when will they be here?"

"Soon," she replied from her position on Jasper's lap. He had wrapped his scarred arms around her torso, as if he could protect her from this threat on our doorsteps. "It will happen on the field where we fought the newborn army directly after sunset. There are no clouds at the sky."

"But Alice," Esme gasped. "The only sunny day you have foreseen is…"

"Four days before the wedding, I know."

Four days before the wedding. At sunset. Before the wedding. I won't even become Edward's wife before the Volturi killed us all. And kill us, they would, I was sure of that. How could we stand a chance against their army, their guard? Against Jane and Alec? Felix and Demetri? There were so many of them, and the Cullens were only seven. I wouldn't be of much use, even now as a Slayer, and even if they changed me before that, I knew that it wouldn't be enough. I had seen the newborns firsthand and how easily they had been killed. And we just couldn't ask the pack to help us again, not this time, not against this enemy. I wouldn't stand for it!

I swallowed a sob that threatened to escape. Charlie and Renée wouldn't even get the closure I wanted to give them with the wedding before they lost me.

What could we do now?

I was torn out of my thoughts by the unexpected ringing of the doorbell. I looked around startled – the Scoobies appeared to be just as clueless as I was, but the Cullens had knowing looks on her faces and the fact that Rosalie even wrinkled her nose in disgust betrayed if not _who_, then _what_ was standing in front of their door. However, it was Edward's next comment that told me _who_ it was.

"Dawn, why don't you open the door?"

Dawn threw him a confused look, but eventually shrugged and walked to the door. None of us talked and I strained my ears to listen to her. I heard an annoyed, "Oh, it's you," coming from Dawn, before she came back to the living room, slumping down on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. She was followed by none other than Jacob.

He was looking much better than the last time I had seen him. He was clean, his hair was cut short once again and he was no longer as ragged looking as he had been a few days ago. He was dressed in clean clothes, jeans, T-shirt and even sneakers. It looked like he had driven to the Cullens with his rabbit, instead of running as a wolf.

Jake was standing uncertainty in the doorway to the living room, his eyes darting back and forth between Dawn, the Cullens and me. He clearly didn't know what to do, appearing almost intimidated and seeming more than ever like the teenager he really was. I noticed Willow and Xander exchange a look – I had completely forgotten that they didn't know Jake yet.

"Jacob," Esme greeted him smiling, taking a careful step towards him. "It's so nice to see you. Please, come inside. Would you like something to drink? Or to eat?"

Jake, obviously taking aback by Esme's motherly behavior, shook his head and took a step inside. He once again looked around the room, furrowing his brows as he took in our faces and asked, "What's going on? Has something happened?"

Carlisle stepped forward and then said what I had been dreading, "Jacob, believe me when I tell you that I wouldn't ask you this if it weren't incredibly important."

"What is it? What's happened?" Jake now looked worried.

"In just a bit more than two weeks, the Volturi will come to Forks."

"Those leeches from Italy? Why?" All uncertainty was gone from Jake's posture, as he was suddenly all business.

Edward squeezed my hand once again, as he replied instead of Carlisle, "The Volturi have somehow found out about Bella's status as a Vampire Slayer and they feel threatened by it."

Jake nodded thoughtfully, though he muttered something under his breath that sounded remarkably like 'trouble magnet'. "I will inform the pack. From what I've heard, those leeches are not to be messed with. You're gonna fight them?"

"We don't wish to," Carlisle said sorrowfully, "but if it comes to a fight, we would feel much better, if we had the pack on our side."

"Consider it done."

"No!" The word just burst out of me, but I knew it was futile. Jake wouldn't listen to me, no matter what I said. "Please, don't risk your lives for me, again."

"Ah, Bells, you worry too much." Somehow it was weird to see Jake smile at me without the look of utter adoration on his face. I felt a small pang, when I realized that I wasn't the one and only for him anymore. It made me sad, but at the same time I was happy that he had finally found his true soulmate. Now, his soulmate only had to realize that Jake was a great guy and give him a chance. "We'll show those leeches not to mess with us."

What could I do but to surrender? I knew there was no talking with the wolves, once they had put their minds to something. "But please, be careful."

"Aren't we always?" he grinned at me. "So, Doc, what's the plan?"

"There is no plan, yet," Carlisle admitted. "Alice just had this vision a few minutes before you came. But I was thinking about calling some of our friends…"

Esme shook her head vehemently. "Carlisle, we can't ask our friends to stand against the Volturi with us. They will be targets, when we do."

"But we need numbers, if we want to win," Jasper interjected. "We only have the slightest chance against the Volturi, if we have an army on our side that is just as big, if not bigger in numbers and power."

I started slightly, when Giles suddenly cleared his throat. I had completely forgotten about the Scoobies for a moment and looked at him surprised, especially when I saw the businesslike and determined glint in his eyes.

"Would an army of Slayers suffice?"

~*~

And that's how the planning began. Giles, Carlisle and Jake stuck their heads together, first to inform Jake on everything else he needed to know about the situation and then to talk about what they were going to do now. Jasper gave his own input every now and then, from a military point of view, and while Jake wasn't the pack's official alpha, it was clear in how he held himself and how he discussed the situation with the others, that it was in his blood.

Much to my horror and to my loud protests, Jake and my family agreed that an army of Slayers was the best option they had for now. Slayers, on top of the pack and my vampires, ought to be enough to, if not defeat the Volturi, then at least make them pause long enough so that I can explain that I won't be a threat, despite my new status.

So, despite my protests that we shouldn't endanger the other Slayers, which were quickly waved off by Xander with the explanations that the Scoobies always took care of each other, he, Willow, Giles and Dawn (who hadn't spared Jake a friendly look once since she had let him in) disappeared through several portals to begin with the preparations.

They had quickly agreed with Carlisle and Jake that they would bring a large group of the most experienced Slayers, most of whom had been down in the Hellmouth of Sunnydale to fight against the Turok-Han, to Forks. The Cullens would provide them with everything they needed to camp on their property and those Slayers who might be anxious to stay near the Cullens would find a place to stay on the reservation. The only things the Slayers needed to bring were weapons.

Shortly after the Scoobies had left, Jake announced that he would go and inform the pack of the new situation and that he would be back in a few hours. He tried to hide it, but I knew Jake well enough to realize how much Dawn's rejection had hurt him once again. His wistful look after her, when she had left through her own portal without even looking at him once, was one of the most painful things I had ever seen. So, despite everything else that was happening, when he walked to the door, I followed him outside.

"Jake, please wait…"

Jake stopped, turning around surprised to see me there. "What is it, Bells? I'm really in a hurry, so…"

He could never finish the sentence, as I had quickly closed the distance between us and hugged him tightly. I felt his warm arms around me, holding onto me more tightly than I held onto him. I was sure, if it weren't for me being much stronger now, I would have bruised. But it didn't matter. Jacob, my Jacob, was hurting and I just had to comfort him. "It's gonna be okay," I mumbled against his chest. "She'll come around."

I could feel his ragged breath in my hair, as he tried to regain his composure. "I'm not so sure…" he murmured quietly, and I had to strain my ears to even hear his words. "She wouldn't even look at me."

"She's just confused," I tried to reassure him. "And, in a way, I can understand her point of view. She hasn't been really given a choice and she hates that feeling. Just… give her some time to get used to this and give her a chance to get to know you. She'd be stupid not to fall for you."

A deep sigh rumbled through his chest and he slowly loosened his hold around me. Awkwardly, he straightened up and scratched the back of his neck. "That's why I came here, today. I wanted to talk to her, to… apologize and ask her for a chance… but now…"

"Something always gets in the way, doesn't it?"

Jake nodded. "I should go now. The pack needs to know. And you, Bella… chins up. Everything will work out."

When Jake gave me one last small grin before he turned to go again, I wasn't so sure, if he had told me this or himself. I watched as he climbed into his Rabbit, his whole body seeming too large for this small car, and waved, as he pulled the car out of the driveway.

I sighed, as he had disappeared on the path between the trees and just wanted to go back inside, when I felt two cold arms wrap around me stomach from behind. I leaned into Edward's chest, the coolness of his hard skin such a big contrast to Jake's scalding hot one. "Jacob's right, Bella," Edward's velvet voice whispered into my ear. "Everything will work out… for him, for us… Just… have faith."

I didn't say anything, not trusting my voice to speak, not when I couldn't share Edward's view. With Alice's vision, I saw my whole future disappear again. How could we stand against the Volturi and win? After I had prodded Edward for days on end, he had finally told me about the gifts the Guard possessed and it was, simply said, scary as hell. Jane's gift had me already petrified, fearing, while being immune to her myself, for the others in my life. But when Edward had told me about Alec, my fear had reached new heights. I had no idea, if I was immune to his power as well, but even if I were, what could I possibly do to protect everyone else who weren't?

"Let's go for a walk," Edward finally suggested, unwrapping his arms from my stomach and taking my hand instead. He carefully tugged me along with him, as we were walking around their house and into their large garden. On my right I noticed the large stone boulder, which had served witness to Emmett's and my arm wrestling match. A huge crack was running along the middle of it, reminding me of the force I had used to push Emmett's arm down.

We went further, eventually coming to the river that separated their property from the forest, none of us speaking the whole time. I just enjoyed Edward's calming presence, but I knew that it couldn't and wouldn't last forever. His worried eyes were on me every so often, urging me to talk to him, but I couldn't, not yet. Not about this.

Instead, as I found my gaze drawn to the forest behind the river, I asked, "Can we go for a run?"

Edward stopped dead in his tracks, the look on his face incredulous as he looked down to me. "A run?"

I nodded stoically. "Yes, I want to run with you. Through the forest."

"Run with me? You mean, you want to ride on my back?"

"No," I shook my head. "I want to run with you. At your side. I mean, I know I'm nowhere near as fast as you, but I've become a lot faster. And I've become a lot more steadier on my feet. You won't have to catch me." I threw him a small half-smile, hoping to convince him that I was serious. "But I'm not sure if I can jump across this river. You'll have to carry me to the other side."

Edward looked at me for a long moment, probably thinking that I was crazy, but finally he let out a long breath. "Okay… Let's go for a run." His voice still sounded disbelieving, as he said this, still not moving.

To show him that I was really ready, I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped into his arms. Thanks to his being a vampire, he caught up to this quickly and grabbed my legs, as I swung them up. His eyes never leaving mine, Edward took one strong step forward and already we were flying across the river. It was exhilarating, but I knew that it would become even better.

Once we were on the other side, I jumped out of Edwards embrace and let go of him. Throwing him a wink, I only said, "Catch me", before I was off.

I still needed a few seconds to trust my legs and my equilibrium not to fail me, but I quickly remembered what I was and started pushing myself forward. I heard light and fast steps behind me and pushed myself even harder. The trees quickly blurred left and right, but I didn't feel dizzy at all. Once again I realized that this was natural and, pushing everything that has happened today to the back of my mind, I let out a delighted laugh. At this very moment, I felt free, free and happy, and I couldn't wait to see how this would be, once I was a vampire.

However, no sooner had this laugh left my lips, as I felt something hard collide with me and throw me to the ground. I grunted, the wind blown out of my lungs, as I lay there on the soft brown and green forest ground, and saw someone hovering over me – Edward. My instincts screamed at me to defend myself, but my breath caught in my throat, as I saw the look in his eyes. They were black and wild and hungry, and yet I knew that I didn't need to be afraid. I carefully raised my right arm, grabbed his neck and pulled him down to my lips.

This kiss was unlike anything we had ever done before. I gasped and when my lips parted, I suddenly felt his cool tongue enter my mouth. There were no words to describe this feeling that shot through my body, but I wanted more, more of him. I pushed my tongue past his and a quiet groan – I wasn't sure if it was him or me – was the only thing I could hear.

And then, he was suddenly gone. My body felt strangely cold without his touch and I sat up quickly. Edward was leaning with his back against a tree, his fingers buried deep within the wood, as he was panting hard. "Edward?" I asked carefully.

His eyes were squeezed shut, as he whispered, "I could have killed you."

I slowly rose to my feet and walked up to him. I stopped only inches away from and gently cupped his cheek in my hand. "No, you couldn't have, Edward."

"I couldn't think anymore, Bella," he hissed through clenched teeth. "The hunt, the kiss… I lost control."

"You didn't, because, if you had, I'd be dead by now." My other hand pulled his other hand carefully away from the tree, and I entwined my fingers with his. "Open your eyes, Edward. Look at me." He did so. Gone was the black and the wild look, but the hunger was still there. "I'm sorry, Edward… I should have known what chasing me would do to your instincts… but I'm not sorry for the kiss. Because I can't be sorry for what has to be the best kiss I've ever had. And it's time for you to realize that I'm really not as breakable as I used to be. Just… have faith, Edward," I repeated his own words from earlier.

"You are the most amazing creature, I've ever met," Edward simply said, once again gazing at me with this marveling look on his face, which always made me have to fight the blush that's threatening to rise in my face.

Smiling at him gently, I stroked his face. "So you've told me countless times."

"And you still don't believe me."

"Maybe, someday…" I admitted. Once I'm like you, I thought to myself, once again glad that Edward couldn't read my mind. However, for a split second I thought he had heard me, as a look of surprise flickered over his face. "Edward?"

He shook his head. "Nothing… it's just… nothing." Then, thanks to my better Slaying-hearing, I thought I heard him mutter under his breath, "Would've been too good to be true…"

I chose to ignore that comment, as it obviously wasn't meant for me to hear. Still, for a moment I feared that he had actually heard me, but this couldn't be possible. Edward couldn't hear my thoughts. "So…" I said slowly. "Are you ready for some more running? And I promise, no chasing this time."

Edward swallowed hard, before he answered, slowly, "Alright."

I squeezed his hand for reassurance, before I began running again, this time not letting go of his hand and just after a few steps, we were running side by side at an amazing speed, our finger entwined the whole time. And whenever I glanced over to Edward I saw the look of pure joy on his face, the same look he would probably see on my face, too.

~*~

The sun was already standing lower at the sky, when we were on our way back to the Cullens' house. We had taken a longer break, when I was getting exhausted from all the running, and Edward had repeatedly expressed his amazement about my new abilities, my endurance and he even seemed to understand that I was no longer a fragile little human. It took some teasing and persuasion from my side, but during that long break, Edward successfully took my mind of our problems with bold kisses that left me breathless.

On the way back, Edward had convinced me to carry me on his back, and I didn't protest. No matter how much I loved to run with Edward, I couldn't deny him this wish to do this. I knew that it was still hard for Edward to accept what I had become – hell, even I still had problems accepting the truth – and even though he was slowly coming around, I wanted him to know that the old Bella was still there. In a stronger package, but inside still the same.

We had to be only a few minutes from the house, when Edward's mobile began to ring. He skidded to a stop and let me slip from his back, before he pulled it out and answered, "Carlisle? I see, we're almost at the house."

"What is it?" I asked curiously. "What did Carlisle want?"

Edward raised his eyes to look at me, a serious expression on his face. "The Scoobies have returned. And they've brought a group of about thirty Slayers with them."

My heart suddenly began to beat really fast in my chest. And I didn't know if it was because of the shock that everything was happening so fast or because of the fact that in just a few minutes, I was going to meet other girls like me.

"Breathe, Bella," Edward reminded me gently, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

I obeyed his angelic voice and took a deep, relaxing breath. I clenched my fists once, before nodding to myself. I could do this. "Okay… We… shouldn't let them wait much longer."

Edward looked at me again with worry in his eyes, but I forced a reassuring smile on my face. "Alright," he said after a moment and allowed me to climb on his back again. Once I had a firm hold on him, he was off again and what seemed like just a few seconds later, Edward was leaping over the river and landing softly on the grass. There, he let me down again and took my hand into his. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, my lips pressed into a thin line, as my nervousness reached new heights. I could do this, I knew this. Taking one deep breath, I gathered all my courage and began to walk towards the house with Edward at my side.

The closer we got the more voices I could hear. The door to the veranda was open and it was easy to discern the female voices, all of them unknown to me. I wasn't surprised to see Jasper standing outside, away from all the human blood. He nodded at me with an encouraging smile and sent me a wave of calm, which I desperately needed, as I stepped into the Cullens' living room.

Immediately, all conversation ceased, as first one girl and then the others noticed me and began to nudge each other into the ribs. I looked around, noticing that all the girls were around my age, some even younger, and found Giles and the rest of the Scoobies talk to a girl with long dark hair. She had her back towards me, but I could clearly see her black leather pants and the tight dark top she was wearing.

Giles noticed me, too, and brought me to the girl's attention. She turned around and I immediately felt self-conscious under her scrutinizing gaze. She swaggered slowly towards me and smirked, as she said, "So, you're little B, huh?"

"My name is Bella," I corrected her, finding courage I hadn't thought I possessed at that moment. "And who are you?"

The dark-haired girl smirked even wider. "The name's Faith. And this, little B, is your army."


	12. First Lessons

**Chapter 11: First Lessons**

Almost one hour after my initial meeting with Faith and what she called _my_ army, I was sitting in Alice's and Jasper's room with Alice, Rose and about ten of those thirty or so girls. Those were the ones that were brave enough to stay in this house and while we were upstairs, the others were either outside or on the way to La Push to get settled – build their tents and so on. The only Slayer who was still downstairs in the living room was Faith, hashing out details of the coming threat with the Scoobies and the rest of the Cullens.

I wanted to be down there too, after all, the Volturi were coming to Forks because of me, but my family had made it abundantly clear that I should just relax and get to know the girls. I had tried to appeal to the Scoobies, but they had also told me in no uncertain terms that I should talk to them, seeing as I would also learn about being the Slayer by the stories they could tell me. My last hope, Faith, and asking her to teach me to fight, met deaf ears. We would start later today, she had told me and had ushered me away.

Now, after I had spent some time with the other Slayers, I didn't know who was scarier – Faith, one of the original two Slayers, or all the girls that Willow had Called with the help of the Scythe. While Faith was absolutely intimidating, with her bad girl attitude (and not to forget her history with killing humans), and the fact that everything about her just screamed _sexy_ – the way she looked, the way she moved and how she shamelessly flirted with almost every male downstairs (she was as sexy as I would never and could never hope to be) - the other girls were almost worse. Despite their calling, most of them acted like typical teenagers, giggling and chattering until my ears threatened to fall off. Under normal circumstances I would try to avoid girls who acted like this, but now I had no other choice but to spend time with them and get to know them.

And Alice and Rosalie were right in the middle of them. That Alice would feel comfortable around those girls wasn't a big surprise, but that Rosalie also joined us, was. I had looked at her in astonishment as she had come into the room five minutes after Alice had dragged us upstairs, and at first Rosalie just sat quietly by the side. But then she began asking questions – questions about the girls' lives, how they felt about being the Slayer, what it would mean for their future, and so on. Her questions were direct and straight to the point and the answers were interesting to say the least.

I could clearly see that those girls had been on the Hellmouth even before they had been Called. While most agreed that it was pretty nifty (their words, not mine) that they now had those superpowers, some of them admitted that it was also scary. One thing that they were afraid of – and I wasn't surprised by this at all – was dying. They all had seen their fellow Potentials and Slayers die on and in the Hellmouth and knew that there was often just them and their abilities between death or life. Once you met a vampire or demon that was stronger, faster, simply better than you were, or an opponent that simply got a lucky hit, it was over. You were dead.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked around. Most of those girls were younger than me, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, but their eyes were much older.

I had been wrong in my first assumption that they were just like other typical teenage girls. They all had seen and experienced so much.

Sure, they had all saved the world, but at what cost?

"How can you still be so carefree?" I suddenly heard myself ask without realizing it. Heat crept into my cheeks, as I felt all their eyes on me. "I mean… just half an hour ago, you were acting like normal teenagers. Like you've never seen all those terrors. How do you do it?"

There was silence for a moment, before one girl – I think her name was Rona – said, "We just do. I mean, I don't think we have another choice. If we just keep dwelling on the bad things, we will get lost."

"Yeah," another girl, Vi, agreed. "Spike once told us in a lesson that every Slayer has a death wish. How big this wish is depends on your view on life. As long as we continue to enjoy life, despite everything that's happened, we keep this wish small. But as soon as we let those bad things overwhelm us, it's over. We're dead."

In a weird way, what they said made sense and I fell silent once again. If you really had nothing else to live for than the life as a Slayer, facing death every night, I understood how so many girls died so shortly after they had been called. Dawn had told me already that her sister had been different than most other girls, because she had continued going to school and having friends and that it was those bonds that had kept her alive for so long.

For a moment, my thoughts drifted off, as I imagined how my life could have turned out if I had been called when I was younger, maybe before I moved to Forks and met the Cullens, or maybe even, if the Council had found me as a small girl and had taken me from my family. Suppressing a shudder, I quickly pushed those thoughts of a terrible life away, and just came back to Alice's room to hear one of the girl's say,

"And how the First could just take on the form of any dead person it wanted to be was so terrible… I mean, with the exception of the one time it pretended to be a Potential that the Bringers had already killed without us knowing, we _knew_ that it wasn't real, that it wasn't really that person. But seeing it wearing the face of my dead watcher, hearing his voice telling me all those horrible things…"

The girl trailed off, and I was happy for that, as a terrifying thought suddenly hit me. "What do you mean?" I gasped, balling my fists tightly in my lap. Dawn and the other Scoobies hadn't told me much about the First Evil, but from what I had understood it could only use others to hurt and kill people. "How could the First talk to you?"

"You don't know?" Rona asked confused. When I shook my head, she went on, "The First could take the form of a dead person, _any_ dead person, even if it still existed as a vampire. It couldn't touch you and you couldn't touch it, but it looked real and it sounded real. Too real. It had visited most of us at one time or another, pretending to be a person that was close to us and talking to us. It even got one of the girls to hang herself. It was terrible. You should be really glad that the First didn't know you existed."

My breath caught in my throat, as I listened to her. Was this just a coincidence? If it wasn't, it would at least prove that I wasn't crazy. "When… when did that start? I mean, when was the first time the First appeared to someone like this?"

Rona shrugged. "It happened all over last year. I think the first potentials were killed last summer, but the First really got started around September."

September… I couldn't really remember much in the time between September and February, but was it really a coincidence that _it _started just as I finally made an effort to live again?

"Bella?" I could hear Alice's concerned voice ask. I looked up at her and what she saw in my face must have scared her, as she asked, "Do you want me to get Edward?"

I shook my head. "No…" He should see me like this. Had I ever told him that I had heard his voice whenever I did something stupid, something… _dangerous._ Something that could have killed me? I couldn't remember at this moment. But I had only ever heard his voice, not seen him, so I looked at Rona again. "Do you think that the First could just take on the form or that it might also be possible to just hear its voice?"

She shrugged. "I don't see why not. Why do you ask?"

"Because…" I hesitated for a moment, fearing that if I said it out loud, it would become true. After all, hadn't I heard his voice again in my head just a few days ago, when I met Willow and Xander for the first time? But that was it, wasn't it? There had been a difference. I had heard his voice _inside_ my head a few days ago. I recalled now that, all those other times, it had sounded as if Edward had been standing right next to me. "Because I think the First visited me, too."

"What do you mean, Bella?" Alice wanted to know.

I grimaced, as I remembered her reaction to my new hobby. "While you… were gone… I heard Edward's voice whenever I did something stupid or dangerous. And to hear his voice again, the things I did became increasingly dangerous."

"The cliff-diving!" Alice exclaimed.

Nodding, I added, "And the motorcycles and going off to find the meadow on my own, despite the threat of the killer bear… I might be wrong, of course, but I think that it was the First talking to me. That it tried to get me to kill myself by doing those things. And it almost succeeded. If Jake hadn't been there, I would have drowned after all."

"Oh, Bella…" Alice's cold arms were suddenly around me, hugging me to her chest. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through this…"

"It's okay, Alice… At least I know now that I'm not crazy."

"That's always good to know," she agreed with a small smile, as she let go off me. I returned her smile, which, however, immediately disappeared again, as her eyes became distant for a second. "Oh…"

"Alice? What did you see?" Rose asked immediately.

Alice rose from the ground, ignoring Rosalie's question, and said, "Come on downstairs, girls… I'm sure you're hungry. Rose, you come, too, please. I need your help to prepare something for them."

The girls all looked at Alice in confusion, but all of them got up. Just as I wanted to follow their example, Alice said, "No, Bella… please stay here for a moment. Jasper wants to talk to you. And you Edward, please stay downstairs," she added, almost forcefully, this request directed at my fiancé, who obviously wanted to come upstairs.

"Jasper?" I asked dumbfounded, but Alice and most of the girls were already gone and when the last girl walked through the door, I saw Jasper standing in the corridor. He hesitated a second before he came into the room and sat down on the chair farthest from me. I couldn't blame him. He still had a hard time being near me and I guess all those humans in their house didn't help him.

None of us said anything at first – I only watched him, my curiosity growing with each passing second. Why would Jasper want to talk to me? What could he have to say to me about the First? A shudder ran through me again, as I thought of how easily it had deceived me. There had been moments when I had really believed that it was Edward and not just a figment of my imagination. And even when I had decided that I had just imagined hearing his voice, rationally knowing that it couldn't have been him, I had been okay with that. However, knowing that it was the very First Evil that had done this scared me a lot. And I felt guilty for ever believing that it could have been Edward.

"Don't feel guilty, Bella," Jasper's quiet and calm voice interrupted my musings. "It's okay to be scared, but you really don't need to feel guilty that this First Evil managed to trick you."

There was a something about the tone in his voice when he said the last part that made me wonder. It almost sounded as if he knew what he was talking about, what it was like to be deceived by the First. My eyes suddenly widened in realization. "It got you, too?" He nodded slowly, his eyes not moving from my face, though he looked a bit troubled. "When?"

"Towards the end of last summer," he told me. "I was having… visions… of Maria… and others who have been with me during the first hundred years of my life. But mainly of Maria. She always appeared out of nowhere, especially when I was around humans. She… It taunted me, reminding me of how delicious human blood was. There were a couple of times, when I almost slipped, but Alice always stopped me, of course. However, I remained close to the edge and then the night of your birthday came."

I could only stare at him, although I also felt the strong urge to go over to him and wrap my arms around him in comfort. His eyes were showing so much pain, when he mentioned my last birthday, and I knew that he still hadn't forgiven himself for what he had done and for what it had caused, even though I had already told him that I had forgiven him, that it hadn't been his fault.

And as it appeared, this was truer than I had previously thought.

"I kept wondering, why Edward never noticed anything strange about me and my thoughts back then, but now I realized that the First must have blocked this."

"What did it do on my birthday?" I asked in a whisper, not daring to speak any louder than this.

Jasper took a deep breath, clasping his hands in front of him tightly and lowering his head, as if he didn't dare to look at me anymore. "Maria appeared again early in the morning and she didn't leave all day. All the time she was whispering in my ear, walking around you in school, tracing the veins that were visible through your skin. She tempted me and I had a hard time to hold onto whatever sanity was still left. Fortunately Alice was too busy with the preparations for your birthday party, so for once she didn't have visions of me attacking you or other humans."

Another deep breath and the way his clenched hands began shaking told me what was going to come now. The urge to comfort him only grew, but I knew that I needed to keep my distance, especially now.

"And then you got that paper cut. It was such a small drop of blood, but I snapped. I can still hear Maria laugh in delight, when I finally attacked you after her taunting all day." He laughed quietly, a laugh that sounded hollow in my ears, without any humor. "Come to think of it… Almost every day someone at school is bleeding in one way or another, but then you cut yourself and I attack."

I couldn't take seeing the pain on his face and hearing it in his voice anymore. Finally giving into the urge, I took slow and careful steps towards him. When I had reached him, his eyes rose to meet mine and I knelt down directly in front of him, enfolding his cold, large hands in my small and warm ones. The look on his face was a startled one, but I just smiled at him, glad that he didn't pull away.

"It wasn't your fault," I told him. "The First tricked you, just as it tricked me. And I've got to say that I'm proud of how strong you have been…" He wanted to say something, but I just shook my head. "I know that out of all the family, you think you're the weak link – and I believe that's why the First has chosen you – but to have resisted its taunts and the temptation for so long, it makes you stronger than you think you are. So… you tell me that I shouldn't feel guilty? Then let me tell you that you have no right to feel guilty yourself. I have forgiven you for what happened on my birthday a long time ago and I'm going to tell you that until you start believing me."

Jasper cracked a wry smile. "That might be a long time."

Returning his smile, I replied, "Soon I'll have more than enough time. So you better take my threat seriously."

This time, he even chuckled, as he gently pulled his hands away, though it didn't seem as if my presence caused him any physical pain at the moment. However, I understood his need to be careful and was more than glad that soon, I wouldn't just have all the time in the world to convince him that it hadn't been his fault and that I had forgiven him, but that he also wouldn't need to be careful around me anymore.

"I think, I will, Bella. I'm beginning to learn that you are truly a stubborn human girl."

"Oh, that she truly is."

My head whipped around upon hearing Edward's voice and a huge smile broke out over my face, as I saw him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and my favorite crooked grin on his face. "Edward!"

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said.

"No, not at all," Jasper answered, as he rose to his feet. "I think Bella and I are done here."

"That's good," Edward replied, though his voice and his face betrayed that in his opinion, it wasn't that good. "Because Faith wants to start your training now."

"Really?" I squeaked, immediately feeling my heartbeat speed up and my palms were getting sweaty. I didn't understand why I was suddenly so nervous, after all, it had been me who couldn't wait to start training. I looked out of the window – the sun had almost set already and it was slowly getting dark. I had almost thought that we would first start tomorrow, as the time had passed.

Edward clearly wasn't happy with me starting to train – though I strongly suspected that it wasn't about the time, but about me learning how to fight in general. The grin had completely disappeared from his face, as he nodded. "She's waiting downstairs and asked me to give you this." First now, as he held it out, I saw the dark bundle he was holding in his hand. It looked like clothes. "She said it'd be better to train in those clothes than in jeans."

"O-okay…" I stood up and grabbed the black bundle. As I was doing this, Jasper's fingers brushed my elbow and I immediately felt a lot calmer about this. I gave him a grateful smile, as he left. However, as he walked past Edward, my fiancé put a hand on his brother's shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. In just a short second it seemed as if a whole conversation passed between them with this one look and in the end, both smiled, and Jasper left. I suddenly realized that all the vampires in this house had heard my conversation between Jasper and me, and I hoped that this was Edward's way of telling Jasper that he had also forgiven him.

"I'll leave you to change," Edward told me, and after a soft peck on my forehead, he was gone, too. Stupid, super-fast vampires.

Muttering under my breath, I unfolded the clothes and laid them out on Alice's and Jasper's bed. My muttering stopped instantly, as I got a good look at the clothes. I stared at them for a moment, before my eyes narrowed to a glare. I would never wear this!

"Oh yes, you will!" A tinkling voice called from downstairs.

I glowered at the floor, cursing Alice in my thoughts, and then, eventually, sighed and got dressed. Once I had put on the clothes, I tried to avoid looking into a mirror, but seeing as I needed a human minute and using Alice's bathroom for that, my attempts were futile. As I was washing my hands, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror. Immediately, a deep blush rose in my cheeks as I caught my mirror image. Tight, black, sweatpants and a simple black sports bra with a top that was only covering about an inch of more skin than the bra, was everything I was supposed to wear.

"Bella? Are you coming?" I heard Edward's voice outside the door.

"No!" I announced, completely mortified. I couldn't go downstairs like this. "I won't."

"Are you alright?" Just at this moment, the knob of the door turned and I realized to my horror that I hadn't locked the door. But before I could do anything, Edward was already in the bathroom and staring at me in what I assumed was shock.

"It's terrible, isn't it? Can you please get me a wide T-shirt or something like that?" Edward didn't answer. He just kept staring at me as if I had grown horns. "Edward?"

A split second later, I felt his strong arms around my body and I had to crane my neck to look into his eyes. They were black again, looking down at me in what I now began to recognize as lust.

"You, Isabella Marie Swan, are at this very moment the most delicious creature on this whole planet." He leaned down, so that his mouth was next to my ear, and what he said next in almost a low growl sent goose bumps all over my skin. "And I'm happy to call you _mine_."

My knees buckled and I was glad that Edward was holding me so tightly, or else I would be sitting on the floor now. I blushed again, my cheeks feeling incredibly hot against his cool skin, and he wasn't even kissing me!

"I should better go," I breathed. "Faith is waiting."

Another low growl escaped Edward's throat, only this time it was certainly a growl of disapproval. "I assume you still won't listen when I tell you that there's no need for you to do this? That I would protect you forever?"

Sighing, I gently pulled away and looked directly into Edward's eyes, as I said, "You can't protect me forever. And I swore to myself that, the next time we had to fight, I'd be right in the middle of it. That I would fight by your side. Of course, I thought this would first happen, when I was like you, but now… fate has dealt us other cards and we have to deal with it. But you have to understand that I _will_ fight and that, to not get myself killed, I have to learn how to do this."

"I still don't like it."

"I don't expect you to, but I expect you to accept my decision. Can you do that?"

Eventually, after what seemed like endlessly long seconds, Edward's lips were pressed in a firm line, and he nodded. My gaze softened towards him and I touched his cheek softly, giving him a short kiss on his still lips. "Thank you…"

Faith was already waiting downstairs with the other girls, when I came down the stairs with Edward right behind me. For a moment, as their eyes rested on me, I felt a bit self-conscious, but then I remembered what Edward had told me. Locking my eyes with Faith's, I stood tall and announced, "Here I am. We can start."

"That's good to hear," Faith smirked at me. "It's too cold and too wet to go outside, so we should go down into the basement."

"The basement?" My eyes first turned to the window, and Faith was right, it had started to rain. But why should we go into the basement? Until now I didn't even know that the Cullens' house had a basement, but then again, why shouldn't it?

"Yep, the basement. Our new gym."

I followed her and the other girls down the stairs behind a door that I had never paid much attention to. Looking back over my shoulder to see if Edward was still behind me, I was surprised to see that he was about to join Emmett and Xander on the couch, who were watching some baseball game. Our gazes met and he only shook his head slightly with a pained look on his face.

He wouldn't come to watch me. Not because he didn't want to, but because he wouldn't be able to restrain himself, when Faith or one of the other girl's attacked me. _I'm sorry_, I thought, though I knew that he wouldn't hear me. _But this is something that I just have to do_.

Before I turned back to follow the other girls, I thought I saw a strange look flash over Edward's face, but seeing as it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, I put it off as my overactive imagination. However, this thought was quickly pushed off my mind, when my eyes landed onto what just had to be a newly renovated basement, or else I couldn't explain why the Cullens needed a large mat in the middle of the floor or all this other gym equipment placed around it.

"This is amazing!" Vi breathed next to me. "And the Cullens installed all of this just for us?"

So I was right. This was new and it was meant to be for the Slayers, and me, to train there. I shook my head slightly, not even beginning to wonder how my family had once again pulled something like this off. I used to wonder about those things, but not anymore.

Even Faith whistled appreciatively. "Not bad. Really not bad." Then she turned around to face us, her hand stemmed on her hips. "Okay, girls, you know the drill. Pair off and begin with some warming-up. Meanwhile, I'll take care of little B."

This time, I didn't correct her to tell her that my name was Bella. Faith seemed like the kind of person who stuck to the nicknames she had given others.

The other girls quickly paired off and spread out throughout the room. Some began jogging on the spot, others began with jumping jacks, while others took skipping ropes for warming up. I swallowed, wondering what Faith had in store for me. "Okay, little B. I know you're eager to fight, but before we do that, you need some theory."

Theory? I raised an eyebrow. Couldn't she have told me about the theoretical parts upstairs?

She could obviously see my doubts, as she chuckled. "Don't worry, I leave the talking-part to the Watcher. But before you start fighting, you need to know the right stances, how to hold you arms, how far apart so spread you feet, and so on. And this is what I'm gonna do with you now. And after that, I'll let you watch some of the other girls get at it, so that you get an impression of what it's supposed to look like. Any questions?"

I shook my head and then she led me off to a quiet corner and began talking me through the motions. She started with my fists (I had again made the mistake of putting my thumbs into my balled fists), then my arms, pushed my legs a bit further apart and taught me how to find the center of my body. Once we were through this, she moved with me through some easy jabs and upper cuts.

I didn't know how long we were at this, but I was starting to feel tired, when she told me to sit down at one wall to watch two of the girls – Vi and Rona – fight against each other. They started slowly, but the more they got into the sparring match, the wider my eyes got. It was amazing, almost like a dance, how they weaved around each other, blocking, evading and even taking hits that probably would have knocked normal humans out cold.

While they were fighting, Faith called out pointers to the girl (Vi dropped her shoulder once, while Rona once got a hit directly in the face, as she let her guard down), and gave me some tips based on their match. It was truly fascinating and I couldn't wait until I was good enough to do this.

I just hoped that it would be in time for the battle.

Faith seemed to read my thoughts, as she turned to look at me with the – I now knew – typical smirk on her face, "In just a few days, I'll let you spar against one of them."

I nodded, now feeling more determined than ever to learn quickly.

When the fight came, I wouldn't be a liability.

* * *

Later that night, Edward and I lay curled up in my bed. My body was dead tired – it had once again been a long and exhausting day – but my mind was still wide awake, too many thoughts running through my head. Edward noticed this of course, as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead and asked, "What are you thinking of, love?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, playing with the hem of his T-shirt. "And everything..." I fell silent for a moment, and Edward didn't say anything to push, but eventually I said, "Faith's a bit scary, isn't she?"

Edward chuckled lightly, his hand running through my hair. It was slightly distracting. "On the outside, yes. But in her thoughts I can see that she is mostly just acting. On the inside, she is just as insecure as you are, maybe even more. She has gone through a lot and this wall is protecting her. So, you shouldn't be so hard on her."

"I won't," I promised, and I could see where Edward was coming from. Wasn't it often so, that the apparently cocky and overly confident people were just hiding their insecurities? And I had to admit, Faith was a good teacher. I had already learned a lot today and I was glad for it.

We were again silent for a long moment, my breathing having become deep and regular, so I probably startled Edward, when I suddenly asked, "You're not angry at Jasper, are you?"

"Jasper? Why should I be angry at him?"

"Because he's never told anyone of you about what he has seen, about why he attacked me."

"No. No, I'm not angry with him. It would by hypocritical of me… and the others."

This got my attention and I sat up. "Why?"

Edward lowered his eyes for a moment, before he looked at me again. "While you were _training_," he still grimaced, when he said this, "my family and I talked. It seems as if the First visited all of us, some the night of your birthday, when I brought you home, and others… after we were gone…"

One look at his face told me that he was the one he referred to as 'others'. "Who did you see?"

He looked at me, his eyes full of pain. "Can't you guess?"

"It was me, wasn't it?" I didn't even need to ask. "How often did it appear?"

He swallowed hard. It was clear that it wasn't easy for him to talk about this. "At first, almost every night. It was… torture, even though it was always just for a short moment. You… it was sitting there wherever I was, looking more terrible with each passing day. And every time it told me… 'You killed me.'… Until…"

"Until what?" I gently pushed him, taking his hands in my own. I knew what he had seen at first, what the First had shown him. It was me, slowly deteriorating. In the first few months after Edward had left me.

"Until suddenly, one day in February, you appeared again. But you looked better, a bit happier. And then you began to talk, about Jacob. About how happy he made you. Each time you appeared, it killed me a bit more, but it just proved that I had been right."

"It wasn't me, Edward!" I whispered forcefully, feeling tears in my eyes. "It was the first, it was torturing you! It wanted to make you feel this way, it wanted to kill you from the inside and it wanted to keep you away from me."

"But it didn't work," he added quietly. "I've already told you that I was about to return. In hindsight I realize that it wasn't just that I couldn't continue to live without you, but also that I didn't want you to be with Jacob Black. By trying to keep me away, the First managed to fuel the jealousy that in the end was part of the reason why I wanted to come back."

"But how could it be me? I mean, I didn't die… I'm still alive…" I wondered quietly, as I suddenly remembered that the First could only take on the forms of people that had died.

Edward lowered his gaze again, as he seemed to contemplate something. In the end, he decided to tell me, "You did die… for a few seconds. In Phoenix. On the way from the ballet studio to the hospital. It was really just ten seconds – the worst ten seconds of my life until then – but it seemed to have been enough."

I was shocked. No one had ever told me about this, but I guess that they hadn't wanted to worry me after all the trauma I had already experienced over those few days I had been running from James. I shuddered, murmuring, "It truly got all of us."

Edward nodded, holding me tightly against his cool, hard body. "But we may not forget that despite all its attempts it never succeeded."


	13. Training

**A/N: Thanks again for all your great and inspiring reviews! And I've got some good news for you: I'm on summer break now from school and teaching and I think I can dedicate a lot of my time to writing this story now! I really hope to get a couple of chapters done before I have to return to school.**

**This being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Chapter 12: Training

Over the course of the following few days I was slowly settling into a routine. While I would spend the evenings and nights at Charlie's house, preparing his meals and spending some quality time with him, I spent the rest of the day at the Cullens' house, preparing for the seemingly inevitable battle with the Volturi. Charlie thought of course that all the time I spent at the Cullens' house was filled with plans for the wedding, and I guessed it was because of this that he didn't question me about it. Just as I was, Charlie was still in denial about the wedding. Fortunately, if I may add, because with as bad a liar as I was, I wasn't sure if I were able to concoct a believable story about my day at the Cullens if it came to it.

And the one time that Charlie had actually asked, what I had been doing, when, after the second day of training I came home limping and moaning, my whole body sore from the excruciating sparring match that Faith had put me through, my first response had been, "Dancing lessons." That was the first thing that had popped into my mind and I couldn't believe my luck, when Charlie had bought it. He had laughed so hard, as he had exclaimed that he was glad that Alice hadn't asked him about dancing lessons. I had only glowered at him, knowing that he was as bad as I was at dancing, and swore to myself that I would tip Alice off that Charlie might need some lessons himself.

My routine at the Cullens' house with the other Slayers was interesting to say the least. There was a lot of work to be done until the Volturi arrived. Planning, training, theory, all of it packed into one day. However, most of my days were spent training either with the other Slayers or alone with Faith. Usually I joined the other girls outside in the backyard for a group drill as soon as I got to the house in the mornings. Most of the times, they were already waiting for me, but sometimes I was early and some of the girls who were living in La Push were still on their way.

As much as I would have liked to spend the time waiting for the other Slayers with Edward, he reminded me again and again how important it was for me to get to know the girls. I was still rather reluctant about this in the beginning – after all, if I survived this battle, I would probably never see any of the girls again, so why become friends now? – but the better I got to know them, the more I liked them. I hadn't wanted to admit it at first, but I slowly but surely began to feel something that I hadn't felt since I had been welcomed so warmly by the Cullen family.

Belonging.

It was confusing as hell, because if I weren't already so sure about my future, I'd say that I belonged clearly with the Slayers, that this was my life. Every time this thought hit me, a wave of shame and guilt washed over me and I had to remind myself that my future was with Edward and that I could only be fully with him, when I was his equal. I reminded myself of my firm belief that I was meant to be a vampire, so that I could be with him forever.

I thought that I had never been happier in my life that Edward couldn't read my treacherous thoughts. He was already worrying enough about me and I didn't want to add to his worries. Especially if it was my doubting the choice I had made, no matter how deep in my subconscious it happened.

So, I pushed those thoughts away, berating myself each time they resurfaced again, and threw myself fully into the training, the strategizing and even the theoretical lectures – Giles was filling me and some other new girls in on everything important about being the Slayer, while Carlisle and Jasper were informing all Slayers – me included – about what to expect when they met and had to fight one of their kind. Jasper even hinted that we soon might have to spar against them.

I had swallowed audibly, when he had said that, clearly remembering my arm wrestling match with Emmett, which I had only won because he had underestimated me. I still had no idea, how a Slayer could fight and win against one of the Cullens or other vampires like them. They were too strong, too fast, their skin too hard… even as a Slayer I was sure I stood no chance against them. And then the Volturi with all their powers, which Carlisle had explained to us in great detail.

Jane, who could inflict pain with just one glance.

Alec, who could cut off all your senses.

Demetri, who could find you everywhere.

Felix, who with his strength could beat Emmett.

Chelsea, who could either enforce or weaken the bonds between us.

Renata, Aro's personal shield, who could block any physical attack.

And not to forget Aro, who could read all your thoughts, all the battle tactics, with just one touch.

I still shuddered at the thought, my fear for my family and for the Slayers growing with each day that I grew more certain. We couldn't win. It was impossible. I might be immune to some of their powers, but the others weren't and I couldn't protect them either. Our only chance was to convince Aro that I wouldn't be a threat to them, not even as a Slayer, but this chance was slim to non-existent.

For once in my life, I was apparently a passable actress, because no one in my family seemed to have noticed the panic and fear that was slowly growing within me. Or they had simply acknowledged it and had decided to let me deal with it on my own. However, this panic and this fear only served to fuel the determination in me. We might all die in the battle, but I for one wouldn't go down without a fight. And if I had to sacrifice my life to save my friends.

If it came down to it, I would offer Aro my life in exchange for the life of my friends and family. As long as they all survived, I wouldn't regret dying. This was nothing else than going to the ballet studio to save my mom, or to fly to Volterra to save Edward, or to impale myself on a stone so that Edward and Seth could win the fight against Victoria and Riley.

I didn't know if Edward suspected those thoughts in me, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Even though he couldn't read my mind, he knew me too well to think that I would just stand back and let others fight my battles for me.

But I wasn't defenseless any longer. Now I could finally fight my own battles and this time I would do this. I wouldn't have to hide, I wouldn't be the Third Wife again. And because of that I threw everything I had into the training the Slayers offered me, and, much to my astonishment, I became better with each passing minute. I allowed my new instincts to lead me through the drills. I forced my mind to remember everything I saw in the sparring matches of the other Slayers. No matter how often Faith threw me to the ground, I would get up again and again, clenching my teeth and balling my fists, ready for another round.

Yes, I would give up my life for my friends, but I never said that I would do this as a defenseless little human.

And so, on the sixth morning of my training, once Charlie had left the house, I got dressed in my new training clothes, pulled a heavy sweater over my head and Edward and I drove to his house, where the others were already waiting for me so that our training could begin. Edward was unnaturally quiet this morning, having barely said more than wishing me a good morning and telling me that we had to go, so I sneaked a glance at him every couple of seconds, while he was driving.

"Is something wrong?" he eventually asked. I cringed inwardly. My sneaky glances hadn't been sneaky at all as it seemed.

"I should ask you that. You haven't said more than five words since you woke me this morning."

Edward sighed, turning to look back to the road. For a moment, I didn't expect him to answer at all, but to my surprise, he did. "I was home shortly before you woke and I heard what Faith and Jasper planned for today."

"And you don't like it," I simply stated.

That's how it had been during the past five days. Faith and Jasper, both something like military leaders in our little army, had been planning our training sessions together most of the time. And seeing as I was usually in the middle of those training sessions, it was only natural that Edward didn't like it. He, however, hadn't been there to watch a single one of them, always retreating to his room or going for a run, while I was training. I know it was stupid and childish, but somehow, I felt hurt by his behavior. I mean, I know that it was hard for him to accept who I was now, but wasn't the least I could expect of him that he was supportive of what I was doing? Show up now and then and cheer on me?

"Of course you don't," I added, when it didn't seem like Edward would say anything to this. I crossed my arms over my chest and turned to look out of the window, away from Edward.

I heard Edward sigh again and out of the corner of my eyes I saw how he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're being unfair, Bella," he mumbled.

"Me? I'm being unfair?" I snapped, already regretting it the moment the words left my mouth. But I couldn't take them back. And furthermore, my temper and hurt feelings seemed to have other ideas anyway, as I felt my head move towards him and heard myself continue, "It's you, who's being unfair! After all, it's you who don't like _any_ of the training the other girls and I are put through. And instead of coming to watch to find out if it's really as bad as you think it is, you disappear! You don't even give them a chance!"

"I see the training," Edward mumbled through gritted teeth. "I see it every time afterwards, when the girls and my family are thinking about it. And I see the results of the training. I see how sore you are. I see your bruises. And I think this is enough for me to decide if I like the training or not."

"The bruises fade, Edward, and they fade quickly. And if you've really seen what our family and the girls have seen, then you know how much I've improved over the last days. I'm good at this stuff. I'm quickly catching up to the other girls… If you… if you'd just come and watch my training, you'd know this."

"I can't," he mumbled in defeat. "I can't just stand back and allow you to be hurt. And because of that, Faith has forbidden me to watch until I can _'get my act together'_."

My mouth fell open and I knew I had to look like a cartoon character, as I gasped, "Faith has _forbidden_ you to watch? When?"

"Before your first training session, while you were talking to Jasper. She told us that she wanted to start your training that night. I told her that it could wait until the next day. We… argued, and in the end she just told me that I was an _'overprotective idiot'_ and that I'd better stay out of her way, while she is training you. At least until I can control myself enough to not intervene when you're hurt."

The car stopped in front of the Cullens' house, but we didn't get out yet. I removed my seatbelt and turned to look at Edward. His gaze had been lowered since his admission, and I had to put my hand under his chin so that he would look at me. "Edward, please… please understand. I've told you this already, and I will tell you again until you finally believe me. I _will_ fight. And to be able to fight, I need to train. Yes, I will be sore afterwards and I might be hurt, but these are things that I've accepted, as long as it helps me to become good enough to be of use in the fight against the Volturi and not a liability. I've been weak long enough, and I'm tired of being weak. I'm more than ready to be strong and kick some Volturi-ass."

Edward cracked a small smile upon hearing my last sentence, and he shook his head slightly. "You've been around Dawn and the other Slayers too much. You're starting to talk like them."

"Well, you wanted me to hang out with them, so you can blame yourself," I joked, but immediately became serious again. "But Edward, please, at least consider what I've said… Or… just try… you can leave if you can't take it, but it really means a lot to me, if you are there. So, will you watch today?"

His lips were pressed to a thin line, and his face was set into a deep scowl, as he replied, "Today, I have no other choice. I'm _required_ to be there."

"Why?"

"You'll see," was his only reply. His lips curled into my favorite crooked grin, which dazzled me effectively and lightened the mood, as he got out of the car and just a split second later opened my door. I took his hand, as he helped me up, and then he put his arm around me, as we walked around the house. As soon as we got to the backyard, I saw that the other Slayers and, much to my surprise, every single member of my family except for Esme was already waiting for me, or, as I realized now, for us. The only other people that were missing were Giles, Will, Xander and Dawn, which was quite unusual.

Faith looked intimidating as always, though I wasn't as scared of her as I had been in the beginning, thanks to Edward's insight into her mind. The girls were gathered behind her and she looked past me at Edward with a smirk on her face. A low growl erupted from Edward's throat, much to my surprise. Apparently Faith was once again thinking about the plan that she and Jasper had hatched while I was with Charlie. The plan that Edward didn't like.

"Good morning!" I greeted them, trying to sound cheerful, though I wondered what this plan was.

"Morning Little B. About time you showed up. We were just about to leave for training without you."

"Leave? Where to? Won't we go running as we usually do?" Normally, our mornings started with a run though the woods, before we continued with the drills and sparring matches in the Cullens' backyard.

"Oh, don't worry, Little B. We will go running. We'll only have a different destination." Faith then turned away from me and looked at Carlisle. "I guess we're all set now, Doc C. Lead the way."

Carlisle and the other Cullens turned around and jumped over the river with ease, while the Slayers took the makeshift bridge – a huge tree trunk felled by Emmett for just this purpose – over the river. I just wanted to follow them, as Edwards arm around me shifted slightly and then his grip tightened. Just a second later we were flying – I saw the water under me pass almost in slow motion – before we landed softly in the woods.

"What the…?" I questioned Edward, who simply shrugged with his crooked grin on his face.

"I liked it better this way, holding you in my arms. And now come, we have to keep up or we'll be late."

"Late for what?"

"You'll see," Edward once again repeated darkly. His attitude was slowly making me nervous. What could have happened today that Edward would hate so much?

He grabbed my hand and together we set off after the Slayers and my family, who were all running through the forest. My family was, of course, running slower than usual, so that we could keep up, but we were still pretty fast. I smiled at Edward as we jumped over a fallen tree trunk together, and my heart fluttered, when he returned the smile with a full-fledged grin.

I hoped he would now finally understand that this was how it was supposed to be between us. As a normal human, I would have never been able to do this, to keep up with him like this, even if he was holding back. As a normal human, he would have had to give me a piggy back ride, which I wouldn't even have been able to enjoy. But now, we were closer to being equal than we had ever been, and it would be even greater, when I was finally like him.

We kept running for about half an hour, when finally I could see the light ahead. For a moment, I wondered if we were going to the meadow, but as soon as we broke through the trees, I knew that I had been wrong. We weren't at the meadow, but on the field were everything began. One fateful game of baseball had brought us to this place again and again. It was the field where we had played, the field where Victoria's newborn army had been fought and defeated. The field that I saw every night in my dreams, where we would face the Volturi.

"What are we doing here?" I asked Edward, when we joined the others. I looked around and suddenly spotted Emmett's jeep on the other end of the clearing, from which Esme, together with Dawn, Giles, Willow and Xander were walking towards us. So, that's where they had been. Esme had brought them here with the jeep.

"This is, where we are going to train from now on," Edward answered and I looked up at him startled.

"We?"

However, before Edward could reply, Faith sauntered up to us. She wasn't in the last bit winded by the run, which had left me just a bit breathless. "Pretty Boy is telling the truth," she told me, again with this annoying smirk on her face. "Today we're all going to train here together, Slayers and vamps and…"

She was interrupted by a low growl and a rustling sound that was coming from the trees near us. All of us turned around and a big smile once again stretched over my face, as a gigantic black wolf, directly followed by a russet colored one, stepped into the clearing. But they weren't the only ones, as eight more wolves were right behind them. I heard the surprised gasps and exclamations from the Slayers. None of them had ever seen the wolves in this form and, even though we had told the girls about how they looked like, it was impressive to see them this way.

"The wolves are going to train with us, too?"

"In a way, yeah," Faith told me. "Mostly, they're just going to watch, but maybe one or two of them are brave enough to face a Slayer." She said this with a challenging look at the wolves, but except for a snort coming from Jake, none of them reacted. "Okay, now that everyone's here, let's start. However, before we start with the sparring, my girls need to do some other exercises. Maybe there are some wolves who are man enough to join them. No? Okay, Slayers, get into formation and then do a hundred push-ups."

Already used to her orders, I quickly tugged my hand out of Edward's, though it seemed as if he wanted to hold onto my hand a bit longer, and got in line next to Vi and in front of an Asian girl called Chao-Anh. Those were two of the girls I liked best and who had the best relationship with my family. Vi, simply because she was a friendly, cheerful and open-minded girl and Chao-Anh, because she had finally found someone in Carlisle and Rosalie with whom she could talk in her own language, something which hadn't been the case in Sunnydale as I'd heard. Vi gave me a grin, before she dropped to the ground and began with the push-ups. I followed her quickly and began to count under my breath.

I had just reached thirty (something which I never would have been able to do a couple of weeks ago, when I had collapsed to the ground after one push-up), when I suddenly felt a tingle next to me. Looking up startled, I saw, much to my amazement, Jake in his human form lower himself to the ground next to me.

"Hey there, Bells," he greeted me, as he began doing push-ups himself. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" I mumbled, still having to concentrate hard to count, do the push-ups and now also talk to Jake. Who ever said that all girls are being able to multitask was certainly wrong. "What are you doing here?"

"Your doc called us this morning and told us about your plan for today and the next few days until the leeches arrive."

"Fantastic… Am I the only one who doesn't know what the plan is?" I grumbled.

"Hey," he chuckled. "We don't know that much either. We only know that at first, we'll get to watch you girls go at it, and after that, we'll once again get to see a show on how leeches fight."

So that's why Edward had said that everyone was going to train today. The Cullens were once again going to spar with each other to show the wolves, and probably also the Slayers, more about how they fought, how they move and how to kill them. That made a lot of sense, especially as I was sure that the Volturi fought differently than the newborns and until now, the wolves had only faced newborn vampires.

Suddenly Jasper's words from two days ago, when he told us that we might get to fight them soon, came back into my mind. I shuddered and almost slipped on the damp grass. I really wasn't sure, if I was ready to face one of my family, although I knew that the sooner I was ready to fight one of their vampires, the better.

No, I didn't want to think about this, yet, so, to get my mind off this, I asked Jake, "So, how come that you are the only wolf joining us in our training?"

Jake grimaced, as he replied, "The others rather stay connected, though Sam is slowly starting to be more comfortable around the Cullens. It's mostly because of the younger ones, those who are still too wary. But I thought, hey, why not join this training? Maybe it might do me some good."

"So, it's not about…" I tilted my head to the side, where I saw Dawn talk to Esme and Alice. Jake's mouth became a thin line and I thought I could discover a slight blush on his cheeks. Ha, I was right!

Jake sighed, as I reached seventy and he sixty – why was he so much faster than I was? "I thought me training with you might show her that I'm not a bad guy. That's also why I stayed away for the last few days – I didn't want her to feel pressured. I hoped that she just needed some space to think about everything."

"Hey, there's too much talking going on over there!" Faith barked. She was already done with her push-ups, as were some other girls. Jake and I both stopped talking and we both rose at the same time, after we had finished our last push-up. I wasn't sure what Faith had planned next, so I quickly put my hand on Jake's arm and said, "That was a good idea and maybe she'll see that you are a good guy. But personally, I think you should just try and talk to her, so that she can get to know you, too. You're a great guy, Jake, a good friend, your funny, loyal, brave… She'd be blind if she didn't see it eventually."

"Thanks…" Jake muttered and this was the only thing he could say, as Faith immediately put us through another drill.

It was about one hour later, and sweat was running down my face and back, when we finally finished. Jake had stayed by my side the whole time and it was kind of fun to do those things with him. I hoped he would also join us the next few days, because it was nice to have someone at my side who had already been my friend before all of this had happened.

"Alright, now that we're all warmed-up, I thought we might do something different today. Girls and wolfboy, go and stand in a large circle and Little B, you go into the middle of the circle."

I swallowed, feeling a huge lump in my throat, as I followed Faith's order and went to the middle of the circle. This was the center of attention, the one place where I didn't want to be, and yet here I was. I fought the blush and got into a fighting stance, as I saw the other girls do the same. My eyes, however, followed Faith, as she walked around the circle.

"What you need to know is that you often have to fight more than one enemy at the same time. We will start training this today. You have already shown that you stand a chance, if you are in a one-on-one fight, but what happens, when two people attack you? Vi, Rona!"

Immediately, my instincts were screaming at me to dodge, and that's what I did, docking and rolling to one side. Two tingles went past me, and I jumped into a crouch, ready to react. Vi was on my right, Rona on my left. They circled me and I circled with them, my eyes glancing back and forth between them. It was impossible to keep them both in my line of vision at the same time. I had to think of something.

Wait, tingles…

I closed my eyes and instead of using my eyes to see them, I tried to locate them by feeling out their tingles. I had gotten a lot better at identifying those tingles with my 'spider sense', as the girls called it, and I was ready to use it.

However, I still had just a split second to react, as Vi rushed at me. I dropped to the ground and whirled around, sweeping her feet away with my outstretched leg. Fortunately, she didn't see my attack coming and fell. I was immediately over her, my outstretched fist just an inch over her face.

I had won.

I just wanted to grin, when, too late, I remembered my other attacker. I searing pain shot through my back, as Rona's foot connected with me, and I was flying over Vi and landed rather ungracefully on the wet and slippy ground.

Ouch… that hurt.

I heard Edward call my name in panic and then Faith, as she snapped, "Stand back, Pretty Boy. If you can't control yourself, I have to send you back home."

"I'm fine, Edward," I called over to him, as I slowly got up again. He needed to stay, I needed to show him what I could do. But still, it hurt! I rubbed my back, just knowing that there would be a nasty bruise – which, fortunately with my new Slayer healing, would be mostly gone by tonight and completely gone in the morning. Turning to Faith, I only said one word, the one word that I would say many more times that day, "Again."

Faith called two more names and I was on again. This time, I wouldn't go down that fast.

I was proud of Edward, he didn't say another word and just watched everything.

In the end, only one person was left to face me, and that was Jake. I wondered, if Faith would really call on him, and if she did, what he would do. Would he really attack me, or back down? I kind of hoped that he would attack me – after all, the last time I had hit him, I had broken my hand, and I couldn't wait and see what kind of impact I would have on him now.

So a huge grin spread over my face, as I heard Faith call, "Okay, wolfboy, you're the last. You get to have Little B all for yourself."

Jake strode forward with a confident look on his face, as he taunted, "Run while you still can, Bells. I've seen what you can do and I won't hold back."

"I hope that's a promise, Jake, because I still owe you a punch in the face."

He laughed, letting his guard down, and I used my chance as I lunged forward. My right fist connected with his face, just as it had done a few weeks ago, when he had tried to kiss me, but this time my hand didn't break. Instead, Jake's face whipped around and I heard a crunch in his face that made even me wince.

"Ow! Fuck!" he yelled, holding his nose. I saw blood running through his fingers and immediately took a step backwards, glad that the wind would drive the smell of the blood away from me and the Cullens. Did I really just break his nose? I looked from my fist to his face and back to my fist again. Then, I looked up again and grinned. "I guess we're even now, Jake. A broken hand for a broken nose." I wasn't worried about him. His nose would be fine again in a few minutes.

Still, much to my surprise, I saw the worried look on Dawn's face and then, when Jake righted his nose again, I even saw her flinch. Well, it seemed that Dawn wasn't as indifferent to Jake we had all thought. Maybe it would work out between them, after all.

I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Edward grin down at me. "Nice punch."

"Thanks." When I turned back to Jake, he had removed his hands from his nose and it had already stopped bleeding, even though his face, chest and hands were still covered with blood. I gnawed on my lower lip, hoping that he wasn't too angry with me, but then he grinned at me and gave me the thumbs-up. I grinned back. "You better go wash up, Jake."

"Yeah," he replied, "after all, I don't want to you faint on me, after your demonstration of strength."

In a moment of being childish, I stuck out my tongue at his retreating back.

Jake returned just a few minutes later, only this time he was again in his wolf form. Apparently, it was now time for the pack to watch the Cullens fight. I settled down on the damp ground where the other Slayers were sitting, as Jasper gave us a rundown of everything he had already told us in the past few days about the fighting style of vampires and how to kill them.

I barely listened, already knowing everything by heart, but when the demonstration began, I was sitting up straight again, eager to take everything in. Even though I had already seen a lot of it, the last time I had been barely awake during their training sessions, so I was sure I had missed a lot.

At first, it was again Jasper and Emmett fighting each other. Jasper used this fight how to point out their different fighting styles. Then they took turns. Each time, Jasper told us something about how they were fighting, and how it might be possible to defeat them. "Of course," he said, after Edward had fought against Carlisle, "those with special powers, like Edward and Alice, are at a clear advantage, as you've just seen. They can predict every move their opponent makes. But those aren't the only powers you have to look out for. Faith, could you please come over."

"Sure thing, cowboy," Faith drawled in poor imitation of Jasper's accent, ignoring the warning growls that came from some of the wolves, and got into a fighting stance across from him. "What do you want me to do?"

Jasper smirked. "Attack."

Faith didn't wait long, but something was wrong about her attacks. They seemed to be slow, uncoordinated, sloppy. The other Slayers noticed this, too, and whispered among themselves, none of them knowing what was wrong with Faith. It even appeared as if she had a hard time standing upright.

And then, I remembered. A deep, heavy fog of lethargy washing over me and my eyes closing without my permission. "He's making her tired!" I exclaimed suddenly. All the girls are looking at me and I hurried to explain, "You know how Jasper can manipulate emotions? Well, he can also make you really tired, so that you're completely defenseless."

"Bella's right," Jasper told us. "Vampires can have very different powers. Some may enable them to foresee your moves, while others might incapacitate you and keep you from fighting and defending yourself at all. In the Volturi, it's Jane and Alec, who have these powers. I know that Carlisle has already told you about the different powers of the Volturi, so I think what you should do, is to imagine how they might hinder you and what you could do to avoid a situation in which they might get you. Because, with the exception of Bella, you are all very much susceptible to their powers. Unfortunately, there's not much more we can do to prepare you for their powers, but we can prepare you to face them and fight them, as long as they don't use their powers on you. Carlisle and Edward are the two members of our family with the best control and they will spar with you."

I couldn't believe it. And neither could the other Slayers it seemed. They were all chattering excitedly with each other, already wondering whom they might be sparring against, but I remained silent. My eyes were looking for Edward, but he was staring stubbornly at the ground. It was obvious that he didn't want to be here and that he didn't want to do this.

My entire being longed to reach out to him and to reassure him that everything would be fine, that I would be fine, but I knew that he wouldn't believe me. It was just so…. Edward. And it was so confusing. For one, it was really sweet that he was so protective, but seeing as it was already bordering on overprotective, it was also incredibly annoying.

But what could I do to prove to him that there was no need to be so worried about me?

"Alright," Jasper's voice rang out again. "You can choose your opponent, but remember that there's a small difference between Carlisle and Edward and this difference is that Edward can read your very thought. Now, who would like to start?"

Without even thinking about it, I rose from the ground and looked directly at Jasper. "I want to start. And I want to spar with Edward."

I could feel his wide eyes at me, but I was still looking at Jasper, almost begging him to let me do this. I needed to do this. In my mind, this was the only way to prove to Edward that I could fight and that I wasn't helpless any longer. And I really hoped that my plan wouldn't backfire on me.

After seemingly endless long seconds, Jasper nodded and stepped aside. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, more than aware of all the stares directed at me. I more felt than heard Edward reluctantly follow me and when we stopped a few feet apart, I could see it in his eyes that he really didn't want to do it. "I don't want to fight you, Bella," he mumbled.

"This is sparring, Edward, not fighting," I tried to reassure him. "It will be okay."

"Please, don't do this," Edward tried again.

His golden eyes were pleading with me, but it was too late. I wouldn't back down. I got into a fighting stance, and even though Edward didn't do anything, I didn't hesitate for another second. I jumped forward and finally, Edward reacted. He stepped aside, but I reacted quickly and my leg lashed out. His eyes widened in surprise, as my outstretched leg connected with his jaw. This unexpected attack let his head snap around and he stumbled a step backwards before he regained his composure.

Edward stared at me with wide, surprised eyes, but I didn't give him a chance to recuperate, as I was immediately on him again. My fist shot towards him and he caught it in the palm of his hand. My other fist followed the first one and again, he caught it. "Please Bella," Edward pleaded. "Let's stop."

I growled angrily and let myself fall backwards. With a grunt, I stretched me legs until they connected with Edwards stomach and threw him over my head. The biggest advantage of my fighting against Edward – he couldn't read my thoughts and didn't know what I would do.

Quickly jumping to my feet and turning around again, I saw him getting up slowly. His clothes were rumpled and caked with mud and there was grass in his hair, and he had never looked more beautiful in my opinion. And then, when his eyes fell on me, I saw that something had changed. It was almost as if he was seeing me for the first time. Emboldened by this subtle change, I got once again into my fighting stance as I whispered, only for him to hear, "Come on. Fight me."

I attacked again, and again Edward dodged, but this time I could actually make out the hint of a challenging grin on his face. My heart soared in my chest, as I kicked out again. He caught my leg easily and twisted it lightly, still careful not to hurt me, but enough to throw me to the floor. He dropped down with me, one arm on each side of me. There was a glint in his golden eyes that I couldn't quite place, but suddenly he was much closer, so close that our lips almost touched.

"You're so… hot, when you're fighting like this…"

I had to swallow, as my whole body heated up at his words. I had never before heard Edward Cullen describe me as hot. As a matter of fact, I hadn't known that this word even existed in his vocabulary in this context.

His smoldering eyes burned into mine and suddenly, I realized what he was trying to do. I grinned. Dazzling wouldn't work today. Using a move that Faith had taught me just the day before, I grabbed his shoulders, pulled my legs up once again planted my feet against his chest, and kicked him away. Quickly jumping to my feet, I put some space between us.

"Making compliments won't get you out of this, Cullen," I teased him. "You'll still have to defeat me."

In a move very reminiscent of Nero in The Matrix, I spread my legs a bit, stretched out my right arm and motioned with my fingers for Edward to attack me. And attack me he did. He almost flew forward and I could only thank my new quick instincts that I managed to dodge the attack. Edward landed in a crouch, before he was once again upon me.

What followed now I could only describe as a dance. I knew, of course, that Edward wasn't going full out, but then again, I also wasn't given everything I had. What we were doing was more playful, both of us getting used to this new situation. I was perfectly happy with letting Edward get comfortable around the more powerful me, so I wasn't being very serious about defeating him.

When we both fell to the ground laughing after I had jumped at him, now straddling him, I completely ignored the catcalls from the other girls and the howls of some of the wolves (my guess was on Jake and Seth). I was just happy that Edward finally seemed to have accepted what I was now and that it had been a lot easier than I had thought.

Suddenly, Edward tensed under me and before I could ask, what was wrong, he cursed under his breath. He helped me up again and then, to explain his behavior, he just said, "Our friends from Denali are on their way. They'll be here in two minutes."


	14. Francesca

**A/N: See? I promised you, this is already the next chapter! So, thanks again for your fantastic reviews! They always make my day!**

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**Chapter 13: Francesca**

"The Denalis?" Alice asked surprised. "But I didn't see…" Suddenly a scowl crossed her face and she turned to glare at the wolves. "Of course I didn't."

"But what are they doing here already? I thought we didn't expect them until the thirteenth," I asked, starting to feel nervous. Their timing couldn't be worse, in my opinion. With the threat hanging over us, all the Slayers being here and the wolves… Oh god, the wolves!

"They wanted to surprise us and they wanted to get to know you better before the wedding, Bella," Edward told me, rubbing my arms soothingly, though I could tell from his voice that he was also slightly agitated. "Yes, Sam… you better go. Although they've already smelled and heard you, I can't guarantee that they won't be hostile. We will call you about further training sessions."

The huge black wolf nodded at Edward and then they all retreated back into the woods. I saw Jake hesitate at the edge of the treeline, his head bent towards the place where Dawn was standing between Willow and Xander, before he disappeared in the shadows as well.

"What's this about?" Giles finally asked, cleaning, what else, his glasses. "Who are these Denalis and why do the Quileutes have to go?"

Carlisle sighed, before he hurriedly explained, "The Denalis are our friends from Alaska, vampires who, like us, only drink the blood of animals. And you can say that there's bad blood between them and the Quileutes, because the Quileutes killed a… friend of theirs."

"But only because Laurent tried to kill me," I quickly said, crossing my arms in front of my chest defiantly.

"And seeing as our family and the Quileutes became allies in the battle against Victoria and her newborn army a few weeks ago, they refused to help us in that fight," Carlisle continued, giving me a slightly reproachful and yet understanding look.

Xander scoffed, mimicking my stance. "Some friends they are."

"They're almost here," Edward informed us and, looking at Carlisle, he said, "Irina isn't with them. But they are… wary. Because of the wolf-smell and all the heartbeats. They don't know what to make of it."

A bark-like laugh startled me and my eyes went wide, as I saw Jake in his human form return to our group, coming to a halt between the Slayers and the Scoobies. "They've got every right to be wary, I'd say."

"Jake!" I snapped. "What are you doing here?"

The grin disappeared from his face for a split second, as he simply replied, "I just had to be here."

His eyes wandered to Dawn, who was looking at him with mild interest. When their eyes met, Dawn harrumphed and turned her head away. The crestfallen look on Jake's face was the most heartbreaking thing I had seen in a long time, but it had disappeared just as quickly as it had come. And I knew the reason for his again very business-like attitude, as four unfamiliar vampires stepped into the clearing.

I thought I would've gotten over the shock at how impossibly beautiful the vampires all were, but when I looked at them, I once again felt very insignificant, not at all understanding how someone like Edward could have chosen little plain old me over someone looking as lovely and striking as Tanya. I recognized her immediately because of the strawberry tint in her blond curls. The woman next to her had long and straight pale blond hair, while the other two, a man and a woman, were both black-haired, with a hint of an olive tone to their chalky complexions. If my memory served me correctly, these three vampires were Kate, Carmen and Eleazar. The last two reminded me a bit of the Slayer I saw in my visions.

They looked uncertainly at us, as we were all standing in our groups. The Scoobies, the Slayers and the Cullens. And not to forget Jake, who was slowly but surely gravitating closer to the Scoobies, to Dawn.

I looked up startled, as Edward gently tugged on my hand and began to walk forward. He nodded almost imperceptibly towards Carlisle, who returned the nod, and then the Cullens, with me in tow, moved closer to the Denali clan. There was a welcoming smile on Carlisle's face, as he said, "Greetings, my friends. You've caught us quite by surprise with your spontaneous visit."

A light smile was tugging at Tanya's lips, but none of them made any move to come any closer. "Surprising you? I've never thought this was possible." She looked at Alice, who was still scowling. She really hated it, when she couldn't see, and Jake's return didn't help this at all. "But I admit, we're also… quite surprised to find you here and in the company of so many… humans. And is it wolf-stink I smell here? We thought we'd heard someone howl before."

Xander's outstretched arm prevented Jake to take a step forward.

"You are right," Carlisle admitted, his voice still pleasant but the smile was replaced by a serious look on his face. "The wolves and these humans are here to help us in a crisis."

"Another crisis?" Kate asked, her voice sounding slightly amused. "You seem to have a lot of those lately."

Emmett let out a booming laugh, as he swung an arm around my shoulder. "That's all because of our little Bella here. She's the danger magnet in our family."

I blushed a deep red, as all eyes were directed at me. However, one golden gaze was more intense as the others and I immediately averted my eyes from Eleazar, who seemed to look right through me. I thought I saw those eyes fill with surprise and wonder before I looked away.

"Impossible," a deep, unknown voice, made me look up again. It was Eleazar, who had begun to look around, his eyes becoming impossibly wider.

Edward stiffened next to me, and I looked up at his hard face, as Tanya said, "You're right, Eleazar. How could those dogs and these humans, these girls, help our friends in a crisis. It's impossible."

"You're wrong," Eleazar told her. "Do you have any idea what those girls are?" Tanya, Kate and even Carmen looked at him blankly.

My hands began to sweat and I looked to the Scoobies and the other Slayers. They were looking edgy as well, some of them even appearing to hold their breaths, and I could see the same questions on their faces that were running through my mind. Could Eleazar know? If yes, how could he? It's not like we were running around in T-shirts with the words "Vampire Slayer" written on them.

"Do you have any idea of the power these girls possess? I've only seen power like this once before. And in just one person. So how is this possible? I thought there was only supposed to be one."

"You're speaking in riddles, my love," Carmen told him, entwining her fingers with his and looking at him with a worried look in her golden eyes.

"These girls," Eleazar told her, although he was looking directly at me, "are Slayers. Vampire Slayers."

Tanya and Kate jumped back into a crouch, a hiss escaping their lips. Carmen had frozen, staring at the girls, at us, with obvious distrust. Only Eleazar was still calm, still looking at me. Almost as if there was once again more than the others could see.

"How does he know?" I whispered to Edward.

"He has a gift for spotting talents, gifts… and, apparently, the powers of the Slayer."

"I see…" I mumbled to myself.

No one had moved since the Denalis had taken on their defensive stances. With Eleazar still looking at me, I knew that I had to do something before this situation got even more out of control.

After having taken one deep breath, I pulled my hand out of Edward's grasp and took a step forward. "Yes, we are Slayers, Vampire Slayers. However, this doesn't mean that we want to harm you. You are friends of the family, vegetarians and we know that you won't hurt humans. It's our job to protect humankind from vampires and demons that threaten and kill humans. You don't belong to that category, so…" I shrugged, letting my sentence trail off. I hoped that I had gotten my point across, and it seemed to have worked. Neither of the women looked as tense as they had been before and Eleazar even smiled a bit.

"What Bella told you is right," Carlisle supported me. "Even though we didn't know about each other until about one week ago, the Slayers and the Watcher's Council trust us and we trust them. And now we're helping each other against that common threat."

"It's the Volturi, isn't it?" Eleazar asked in a quiet voice.

All of our heads turned to him in surprise and Edward nodded grimly. "Why don't we go back to our house to talk about this? Eleazar has many things to tell us."

"Her name was Francesca," Eleazar began, once we were all gathered in the Cullens' living room. Most of the girls were sitting on the floor, some on chairs, on the couches or simply standing, intently listening to what Eleazar wanted to tell us. "And this is her story."

I was surprised at how quickly we had all come back, running through the woods, and even Esme must have driven like a maniac to arrive with the Scoobies and Jake even before we did. Once we had arrived, the Denalis had wrinkled their noses at the very obvious wolf-smell and Jake's cover had been blown. Fortunately, Carlisle had stepped in before it could come to more than a few heated words between the two parties (and me, because I had once again taken Jake's side and explained yet again that Laurent had been about to kill me, when the pack had arrived to take care of Laurent). Now, they were only glaring at each other, but I'd rather take this than a fight.

On the way home I had tried to get Edward to talk about what Eleazar would tell us, because I was sure that Edward already knew most of the story, having heard it in Eleazar's thoughts, but Edward remained stubborn. "It's his story to tell," he had said. "Not mine. But this story will help us to understand the aversion the Volturi have against Slayers."

This, of course, had made me even more curious and maybe it was because of this that I had sped up, followed by the other girls and my family. I admit, I was out of breath and feeling a bit sticky (it didn't help that I was still dirty and muddy from the training session in the field) but more than ready to hear the story.

"Why does the know so much about the Volturi?" I had asked Edward, once we had arrived.

"He belonged to them once, a long time ago. He left them when he met Carmen. Don't worry, Bella. Eleazar is a good man."

I was surprised, to say the least, but trusted Edward's words.

So, once we had all settled down, Eleazar had stepped up and began his story by introducing the main character, apparently a woman called Francesca.

"It was only a few decades after you left, Carlisle. Antonius, a member of the Volturi guard and a good friend of mine back then, in 1786, was out in the streets of Volterra one night, on the hunt. He had been ready to return home, when he heard fighting noises. Worried that another member of the guard might be in danger, he quickly followed the noises and he then came upon the strangest sight he had ever seen. Just as he arrived in the alley where the noises came from, a cloud of dust greeted him and a girl, no older than seventeen, holding a wooden stake in her hands. She had heard him and whirled around, and, after having taking one look at him, attacked. Antonius hadn't expected this and would have been impaled on the stake, if his skin hadn't been as hard as it was. The girl seemed to be startled, but didn't back down. Instead she attacked him again and Antonius was more than surprised by her incredible, inhuman strength. He captured her and brought her before Aro…"

"She was a Slayer, wasn't she?" I asked, when Eleazar paused for a moment.

He looked at me and nodded, before he continued, "I was present, when she was brought in, and with my gift I could immediately see the power within her. It was more than obvious to me that she was far more than a normal girl, more even than a human with a latent gift. Aro, who had been touching me, saw this and ordered Antonius to bring the girl closer. She struggled, still with remarkable strength, against Antonius' grip, but still was no match for him.

"When Aro touched her, he saw everything. Everything about the life of a Slayer, the Watcher's Council, the vampires and the demons that she had fought and killed. He saw everything about her legacy, everything she knew, he knew, too. He had laughed, when he had let go of her again, and I knew why. Before, he had only heard rumors about a so called Vampire Slayer, but now the proof was standing in front of him. This girl, Francesca, was a Vampire Slayer."

"Did he kill her?" Dawn wanted to know.

When Eleazar looked at Dawn, he did this with the same piercing look that he had already used on me earlier, as if he saw more than everyone else. Did he see that Dawn was different, too? Almost out of instinct it seemed, Jake took a step closer to her, ready to protect his imprint. "No, he didn't kill her yet. You have to know that Aro is a very curious man. And he's a collector, a collector of gifts. He would never let a gift as great as hers, her power, go to waste. So, no, he didn't kill her, but he ordered Antonius to change her. He wanted to see, if a Vampire Slayer could become a vampire."

Eleazar took a deep unneeded breath and took a look around his audience, who were all anxiously waiting for him to continue. I was one of them, I wanted to know what happened next to this girl. Francesca. When I thought her name, I immediately saw the girl from my vision, and wondered if they were one and the same person? My instincts screamed at me that they were, and I believed them. It all slowly began to make sense.

"I heard Francesca scream for three whole days, as the venom worked through her body. But when she awoke, she was magnificent. You probably know that newborn vampires possess an incredible strength, but this girl was even more powerful. However, she also appeared to be out of her mind. She was behaving like an animal, attacking everyone and everything in her sight. It took ten fully trained members of the guard to take her down and two of them were Alec and Jane. Aro had no other choice but to lock her away for the first few months of her life. He hoped that, once the newborn phase had passed, she would be more reasonable.

"I've never seen her again, after she had been locked in the dungeons. Only Aro and Antonius would visit her, feed her. Antonius didn't talk about it, but I saw that it made him miserable. Despite her being insane, he had come to care for her, more than was healthy for someone in his position. Aro kept her locked up for two years, before he announced the experiment to have failed. He ordered Antonius to dispose of her. It was clearly obvious that he didn't want to do this, that it was breaking his heart, but he went anyway. He had no other choice. This was the last time I saw him."

Everyone, except for Edward, who was reading Eleazar's mind of course, waited with bated breaths. None of us was speaking, and a few of the girls had tears in their eyes. Again, I admit that I was one of them. I felt for Francesca, for Antonius and for Eleazar, whose pain was still visible in his eyes.

"Aro was… disquieted, when Antonius didn't return and sent me to look for him. I already feared the worst, and so I wasn't terribly shocked, when I found the two piles of ashes, clearly remains of burned vampires, in the cell that Francesca had spent the last two years of her life in. My friend had taken his own life, when he had taken hers."

Vi sniffed. "That's so sad."

Eleazar ignored her, as he finished his story. "After I had given him the news of Francesca's and Antonius' deaths, Aro announced to his guard that there would be a new rule. No one was ever to change a Vampire Slayer again. No one would talk about the Vampire Slayer again. No one would seek a Vampire Slayer out and kill her. No one outside the guard should ever know that the Vampire Slayer existed. She was to remain a secret, so that our kind of vampires, which was unknown to the Council as he had found out through her thoughts, would remain a secret, too. But Aro didn't stop at that. He wanted to be kept informed about the happenings at the Watcher's Council, he wanted to know the identities of the coming Slayers, so, ever since then, he bribes someone working for the Council to give him this information. The Council isn't aware of this and it has remained so until today."

"So there is a mole at the Council!" Xander exclaimed. "Someone has given Aro the information that Bella has been Called as a Vampire Slayer. That's how the vultures found out!"

Giles had blanched at this news and as new Head of the Council, I couldn't blame him. It had to be hard to find out that one of your own employees (and I knew that there weren't that many left of the Council after the First's attack) was leaking information about the girls you swore to protect. His face was deathly white and there was a look on his face that I had never seen before – this calm and calculating look was so very un-Giles-like – as he announced, "Dawn, please bring me back to the Council. I need to get in contact with the Devon Coven. Willow, will you accompany me?"

"Of course, Giles," Willow said at once and rose to her feet. Her eyes were, just like mine and many other girls, slightly red. But she was all business now. They needed to act, fast, if they wanted to catch the mole.

Dawn had also gotten up from her sitting position and, with a flick of her hand and a look of deep concentration on her face, opened a portal. The Denalis, who had never seen her do that before, gasped in surprise, though Eleazar's eyes widened in understanding. I didn't like that look at all.

Once Giles and Willow were gone and the portal was closed again, I saw that Eleazar had averted his eyes from Dawn and was instead exchanging a loving look with Carmen, who was gently running her fingers through his hair in a calming notion. Telling this story had taken a lot out of him; reliving the death of a good friend was never easy.

I rose and walked up to him. "Thank you, Eleazar, for telling us. At least, now we know why the Volturi want to attack us. I mean, we guessed that it was about me becoming the Slayer and wanting to become a vampire, but now we know for sure."

"You're welcome, Bella. I'd do anything to help family. Even stay and fight the Volturi at your side, if it comes to it."

Esme gasped. "We couldn't possibly ask this of you."

"Esme is right," Carlisle said seriously. "We won't ask you to risk your life. It's too much."

"Ah, Carlisle," Tanya said with a smile. "It's the least we could do, after we didn't help you the last time."

"Even if you have to fight alongside werewolves?" Jacob threw in.

Tanya gave Jake a long, scrutinizing look, before she answered, "Yeah… If you think you and the other puppies can be of help, why not? And as Eleazar has already said, we'd do anything for family, right, Kate, Carmen." Both women nodded with encouraging smiles. "Besides, the Volturi are wrong. They have no reason to attack you, even if Bella still wanted to become a vampire after what she's heard today. Especially as they basically forced you to change her before. They could have found a different solution to this problem, for example sending you a message or coming to talk to you. Attacking you isn't the right way."

I sighed, knowing that Tanya was right. But still, something wasn't right about this. Edward always insisted that the Volturi weren't meant to be the bad guys in the vampire world, and yet I just couldn't help but feel this deep distrust whenever I think of them. Even if Carlisle spoke highly of his old friends, I just knew that there was something underneath the surface of the Volturi leader, something ugly. I just knew that I would never feel comfortable around Aro – he was too smooth, like a snake, coiling to strike.

"Maybe he just needed a reason," I mused to myself, but of course all vampires heard me.

"What did you say?" Edward asked, even though he knew exactly what I had said.

"Nothing," I shook my head. "Just me talking to myself."

Still, Edward wouldn't look away, but I could see the wheels turning in his head and suddenly, everything fell into place. Why hadn't I seen it before, after all, this was still one of my worst nightmares? I still shuddered, whenever I thought of the picture that had placed itself so firmly in my mind – Aro sitting in the middle, Edward standing on his left, Alice on his right, both clothed in black robes and with glowing red eyes.

"He's a collector," I mumbled, repeating the words Eleazar had just said a few minutes ago. "And he wants you and Alice."

"He just needed a reason to come here, to attack," Edward echoed my words, understanding and horror also dawning on his face.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jake asked. I was startled to hear his voice, or better, I would have been startled to hear anyone's voice right now. But he wasn't the only one who was looking at us in curiosity. Most of the Slayers had similar expressions on their face. Only the other vampires, my quick-thinking vampires, had caught on to what Edward and I had been talking about.

Carlisle was shaking his head, as he said, "It can't be true. Aro would never…"

"Wouldn't he?" Eleazar questioned him. "I've seen it before, just never in this light. I've been there often enough and most of those times, when Aro and the guard attacked covens for breaking the law, I pointed out the opponents that were gifted. Because they might be a danger. I think I've never wanted to notice that it was those vampires, whom Aro offered to join the guard, because they regretted what they had done the most. But now, it makes sense."

"But why would those vampires just turn their backs on their friends?" Xander wanted to know. "If one of the bad guys of the past offered me to spare my life, I would have never joined him."

"Chelsea," Dawn replied instead of one of the vampires. "She can weaken and strengthen the bonds between people. She weakened their bonds, didn't she, and then made them feel as if they belonged to the Volturi?"

"You are correct," Eleazar said and then sighed in sorrow, burying his face in his hands for a moment, before he said, "I was so stupid."

"No, you weren't," Carlisle comforted him. "Aro has hoodwinked all of us. In a way, I might have expected it, with so many gifted members of my family."

"Yes," the dark-haired vampire agreed. "Your family is very gifted. A Mind-reader, a Seer, an Empath and a Vampire Slayer who, at the same time, is already such a strong Shield that she is mostly blocking me."

Edward looked at him, startled. "What did you just call my fiancée?"

Eleazar returned his gaze with disbelief. "A Shield. And a very strong one for a human. I think it's just because of her being a Slayer that I can sense some of her power. Surely you have noticed that you can't hear her thoughts at this moment?"

Chuckling, Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and replied, "Her mind has always been silent to me. Aro can't hear her either. And Jane can't hurt her." He grinned, also shaking his head. "Why have I never considered this before? A Shield, of course. Another thing that makes sense tonight. Eleazar, I must say that your presence here today is very welcome. You've already shed light on many mysteries today. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Edward."

They exchanged a smile, even though I was still very confused. Whenever I was thinking of a shield, I could only think of those old medieval things used by knights. Of course, in a way I understood that I seemed to have a gift, a gift that might become even stronger when… no, after today it would be better to say _if_ I ever became vampire.

I quickly pushed those thoughts aside, as I crossed my arms. "Would anyone care to tell me what this means? Being a shield, I mean?"

"Later," Edward mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I think you've already gotten enough information for one day. And it's getting late."

He was right, it was twilight again, and I was really feeling exhausted. It had been a long day, filled with training and emotionally draining stories. And I was also getting hungry. Even though I was still curious, I realized that this conversation about being a shield was meant for another day, when my head didn't already feel as if it were filled with cotton.

"Okay…" I sighed, leaning into his embrace. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, comforted by Edward's unique scent. I guessed that I might have dozed off in this position, even though I was standing, if my stomach hadn't reminded me of its presence, demanding food. I snickered, as I turned to the girls and the Scoobies and asked, "You guys hungry?"

I had used the time it took to prepare the meal (Esme had shooed me out of the kitchen the moment I had stepped inside and offered to help) to take a quick shower, thankfully washing off all the mud and sweat, and gotten dressed in clean jeans and a T-shirt. My muscles felt slightly sore after this day, but a good kind of sore and nothing I couldn't handle, and I already felt much better after the shower.

While I was combing through my damp hair and pulling it into a ponytail, I was wandering through Edward's room (he was downstairs, helping Esme). His window was open, allowing a fresh breeze to enter the room, but suddenly I heard voices outside that made me pause.

"Dawn, please wait!" It was Jake. He sounded nervous and I could almost imagine him running his hand through his short-cropped hair.

"What is it?" I heard Dawn reply. Her voice was terse, almost sounding a bit nervous, too.

I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop, but I was curious, seeing as whom the two voices belonged to and I just couldn't help myself. I inched closer to the window, hoping that they wouldn't see me, when they finally came into view for me. They were standing in the backyard, having obviously just left the house, facing each other. Dawn had her arms crossed over her chest and was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Look, I'm sorry… I just…"

"You didn't need to protect me in there just now!" Dawn snapped. "I'm fully capable of doing that myself. And besides, Eleazar had just asked me something! I didn't need any protecting!"

"He said that you shouldn't exist!" Jake snapped back, his voice sounding desperate. I froze. What had I missed while I was in the shower? "That you should have been destroyed!"

"Not me, the Key."

"But you are the Key, or did I get that wrong? I mean, I don't know much about whatever the hell this Key is, but I do know that you can use it to open those portals, right?"

Dawn's shoulders slumped. I guess she realized that Jake really didn't know much about her. He had no idea that, until three years ago, she hadn't existed in this form, that until three years ago she had only been a blob of green energy. "It's a bit complicated," she sighed. "And a long story."

"I've got time," Jake assured her, his voice now warm and gentle.

Shaking her head, Dawn whispered (and I had to strain my ears to hear her), "I… I'm not sure… I don't think I can tell you everything, yet… But… yes, I'm the Key. And the Key can be used to open portals. In the wrong hands, the Key can be extremely dangerous and that's why Eleazar is worried. Was worried. He knows of the Key's original purpose, but you've heard how I told him that I'm in control of it now and that I would never use it for this."

"What _is_ the original purpose?"

Dawn hesitated again, before she looked directly into his eyes, "Its original purpose was to tear down the walls between the dimensions."

Jake appeared shocked for a moment, before he laughed. "Well, I'm glad you won't use your powers for this. Because, no walls between the dimensions would suck."

It was difficult to see in the darkness, but I thought I could detect the smallest hint of a soft smile on Dawn's lips. "Yeah, it would."

Jake paused, biting his lower lip. Then, he mumbled, "Thanks… for giving me an insight into your life. I just… I want to get to know you, to understand you. So that I can be worthy of you." He returned her smile with a bright grin on his own – I could only imagine how happy he was. This was the longest conversation he'd ever had with Dawn and she hadn't been hostile the whole time. It was certainly some improvement.

I just wanted to retreat again, not wanting to destroy this moment they had, when Jake, in typical Jake fashion, broke the comfortable silence between himself. "Is that food I smell?"

Dawn sniffed, before grinning, too. "Yep, smells good."

Jake turned to go, but a "Hey Jacob," from Dawn made him look back. "Thanks… for wanting to understand me." Jake only smiled again, before he continued his way inside, but Dawn called out to him again. "Jacob… Bella told me that they make an awesome apple-pie at the diner. You wanna go there tomorrow afternoon? Maybe we can get to know each other a bit better."

I thought Jake's face would split in half with the smile that was no on his face, as he answered, "I'd love to." For a moment I thought he would run up to her and hug her, but he obviously decided that it would be too much for the beginning of their friendship, and finally went back inside, with Dawn following him a minute later.

Deciding that it was about time that I also finally showed myself again, I went downstairs and gave Jake a warm smile, before I sat down at the food-laden table.

Despite not having to eat herself, Esme was truly proving to be an excellent cook yet again. With Edward's assistance she had once again managed to produce a meal that couldn't just feed an army (plus Jake), but also tasted extremely good.

After dinner, most of the girls retired either to their tents, their rooms or to La Push and Jake also took his leave. He promised that he would tell about Sam everything that had happened here today and that he would see us all tomorrow. His gaze lingered on Dawn a bit longer and again I could detect the hint of a smile on her face, before he walked through the door. Once he had disappeared in the darkness, I could hear the happy howl of a wolf.

By then it was also time for me to leave for Charlie's. I had called him earlier to tell him that I wouldn't make it for dinner but that I would bring him some leftovers from the Cullens'. He must be starving by now and I wouldn't let him wait any longer, so Edward offered to drive me home.

I sighed, as I settled into the soft leather seats of the Volvo, missing my truck. For the past few days, Edward had taken to driving me around, as I tried not to look at, and let alone drive, my new black and shiny and completely over the top car.

We didn't talk during the drive to Charlie's, though I knew that there was a conversation we had to have. When Edward stopped in front of the house, he just promised to wait for me upstairs, before he left again. I went inside. Charlie was sitting in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. He looked up, when he heard me enter, "Hey Bells. Had a good day?"

I groaned exaggeratedly, as I let myself sink on a chair. "I can't wait until it's over… I'm totally beat."

Charlie chuckled. "You got yourself into this situation all by yourself, kid. So stop complaining."

I glared at him, but he only laughed again. I sighed. "You're right… By the way, I've brought the promised leftovers," I motioned to the plate I had put on the table, "it's really great."

"Finally some food for your starving old man."

This time, I chuckled. Stretching my arms over my head, I yawned. "Enjoy your meal. I'm gonna head upstairs. Maybe read a bit before I go to sleep."

"You do that, Bells. Goodnight."

"Night, dad."

I slowly walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the door to my room. My hand was already lying on the doorknob, but I hesitated.

I knew that Edward must already be waiting for me inside, but right now, I really didn't want to face him. After everything that Eleazar had told us this afternoon, I was sure that Edward would once again want to negotiate my becoming a vampire, even though I had agreed to marry him. Only this time, I wasn't so sure if I could remain strong. What Eleazar had told us scared me. Was it truly impossible for a Slayer to become a vampire? Would I lose my mind, if Edward changed me? But if I wasn't a vampire, how could I spend eternity with him? I still didn't want to grow old by his side, but did I really have another choice now? Short of Edward becoming human – yeah, as if that could happen – we would never be equal.

No, I decided. I wouldn't give up. There just had to be a way for Edward me to be together forever. And if I had to read all the books in the Watcher's Council, I would find a loophole. I would find a way to become a vampire without becoming crazy. Maybe Willow could strip me again of my Slayer powers? This might be worth looking into.

With this new resolve, I just wanted to turn the doorknob, when it already opened from the inside. Edward was suddenly in front of me, a concerned frown on his face. "You were standing there for a long time."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, as I stepped inside and into his waiting arms. The door fell shut behind me with a soft click. "I was just thinking."

He sighed. "I was thinking, too. Bella, after what happened with Francesca, I don't think…"

"Hush…" I put my finger on his lips. My gaze was hard and determined, as I looked at him. "I won't give up on this, Edward, I won't give up on immortality. We will find a way to be together forever, as equals. Just because this happened to Francesca, doesn't mean it will also happen to me."

"Bella…"

"Please, Edward… I promise, I won't rush into this. I will do research. I will find out everything I can, and if, then, it still seems to be impossible, I'll… I'll accept this." I swallowed hard, blinking some tears away. Still, one managed to escape and Edward wiped it away with his cool thumb. "If there's no way for me to become like you without losing my mind, I promise that I'll grow old by your side and be happy."

Without saying anything, Edward tightened the embrace, and I buried my face in his shirt, shedding a few more tears. I'd say now that I would be happy, but for Edward I would have to try.

_I was once again standing on the field, the by now familiar dark line approaching. I was holding my weapon tightly in my hands, as I looked left and right to see my friends and family stand there. I heard deep growls and snarls, some of the sounds so unlike the ones I knew from my vampires. My gaze wandered back to the dark line and I saw it. There was more. Behind that line was a dark mass of… I didn't know what it was, only that it made my spider sense tingle so strong that it was impossible to ignore. _

_A single part of the mass broke free and came running towards us. I gasped. It was tall, muscular, green and scaly. It lunged at me, and before I could react, someone dropped down in front of me and cut off the head of this thing, this demon, with a long sword._

_The person turned around, dark-haired, an olive tint to her pale skin, golden eyes blazing. "Not all is as it seems," Francesca hissed and I woke up._

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked worriedly, as I clung to him after my dream.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's not just the guard, Edward. Aro… he's also bringing demons."


	15. A Day off

**A/N: And here's another one! And I don't have much to say except for thanks for your fantastic reviews and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 14: A Day off**

Edward lowered the mobile from his ear and looked at me still with that concerned look on his face that hadn't left his handsome features for the past minutes, since I had woken up from that nightmare. He had called his home immediately once I had managed to recount what I had seen in that vision. I still shuddered at the sight of the demon, having never seen something as ugly as this… thing.

"Giles isn't back yet, but Carlisle thinks you're right and that you all need your rest, before we talk about this in the morning. It's been a long day for all of us and the next days until the Volturi arrive won't be any easier."

"Did Alice try to see this vision?"

Nodding, Edward replied, "She did. But she didn't see anything beyond the Volturi and that's frustrating her. Bella, are you sure that this wasn't just a normal nightmare?"

"Yes," I insisted. I knew it, just as I knew that my name was Bella Swan and that I was in love with a vampire. "It was a Slayer dream, a vision. Aro's going to bring demons, I can feel that it's true."

"Hush," he whispered, once again hugging me tightly to his chest. "It's alright. I believe you. Go back to sleep now, my love. Try not to think of your dream. We will deal with this tomorrow."

I only nodded against his shirt and lay back down on my bed. Edward pulled my blanket over my body. As usual it was meant to protect me from the coolness of his body, though right at this moment there was nothing I wanted more than having him as close as possible to me. Best would be no clothes at all between us. A blush crept into my cheeks in the darkness, as my thoughts took this direction.

Snuggling deeper into my pillow, I really tried to fall asleep again, but my mind was buzzing with so many different things – the things that Eleazar had told us, my newest vision, training, the situation between Dawn and Jake… And many more things that I couldn't even name. Earlier that night, I had been able to ignore all this pretty easily, seeing how tired I had been, but now, after that nightmare, I was wide awake.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed with me lying awake in Edward's arms, when I let out a deep sigh. "Can't sleep?" Edward asked, breathing into my ear.

A pleasant shudder ran down my spine, before I told him, "My head's too full. I can't stop thinking."

"Do you want me to help?" he whispered, his cool breath once again tickling my skin. I could feel the goosebumps on my skin return.

I was surprised, when, without waiting for me to answer, his began to trail soft kisses along my neck. "What are you doing?" I asked, suddenly feeling breathless.

His kisses continued and my eyes fluttered close. My breath hitched, as he said, "I want to help you stop thinking." I could almost hear the grin in his voice. "Does it work?"

"Uh-uh…" was the only thing I managed to say. Turning to face him, my mouth eagerly sought his. For a split second, almost unnoticeable, Edward hesitated, before he returned the kiss at full force. It was just like it had been a few days ago in the woods, when we had been running. Indescribable. Our lips, moving together, hot against cold, soft against firm, and then his cool tongue against mine.

I broke away to catch my breath, but Edward didn't stop. Kisses rained down my face, my throat. I whimpered, when his lips lost contact with my skin, but just a short moment later, I felt them on the small exposed part of my stomach. His hands and lips were wandering upwards, my top rising with his hands.

_Please, take it off!_

Again, his lips stopped their journey. I looked up and saw the questioning look on his face. His fingers were holding the edges of my top, as he asked, his voice husky, "May I?"

I didn't answer. Instead I just sat up and raised my arms. I could feel my heart hammer against my chest and the heat in my face. This would be the first time that Edward Cullen saw so much of me. I really didn't want him to be disappointed.

The top went flying and I averted my eyes. I didn't want to see his reaction. I was scared. Nothing happened for endlessly long minutes. I could only hear Edward breathing, my own breath and my beating heart.

Disappointment rose inside of me, as Edward didn't do anything. I knew my body was normal, nothing special. But was I really that ugly?

My hand reached for the blanket, ready to cover what had been exposed, but Edward's hand stopped mine. "Don't…" he whispered, as his other hand reached up and tilted my chin upwards so that I had to look into his eyes, eyes that were filled with admiration and lust. "You, Isabella Swan, are really the most beautiful woman on this world. No, beautiful isn't a strong enough word to describe you. A word to describe your beauty has yet to be invented."

"Edward," I only murmured, but he shushed me, our lips once again connecting. My hands were in his hair and his hands began to explore places of my body where they had never wandered before. My breath hitched and a moan escaped my lips. This only seemed to encourage Edward, as his travelling fingers became bolder, his kisses even more passionate.

None of us remembered the person sleeping in the bedroom next to mine, until we both suddenly heard heavy, sleepy footsteps in the hallway.

"Damn!" I heard Edward curse and a second later, he was gone, the curtains to my room moving in a slight breeze.

I quickly let myself fall back to my bed and pulled my blanket up. My breathing was still erratic, my face was flushed and my lips felt swollen. How could I lie to Charlie in this situation?

The door cracked open, as Charlie stuck his head inside. His eyes wandered around the dark room, not finding anything, before they settled on me. They lingered a bit longer on the closet and on the space under the bed, and for a moment I was sure that he would check both for Edward, but in the end he simply asked, "You okay, Bells? I thought I heard something."

"I'm okay," I squeaked.

In the dim light falling into my room from the hallway, I could see that Charlie raised his eyebrow. He clearly didn't believe me. "Where is he?"

"Who?" I tried to play innocent, but again failed miserably.

"Bells, I may be old and a bachelor, but I'm not stupid. Those sounds were unmistakable, so where is he?"

Did I just imagine it, or did Charlie try not to look at me directly? "Edward's not here, dad," I said, my voice now sounding steadier. After all, this wasn't a lie. "About the sounds…" Think fast, Bella! "Well… you know… sometimes… girls have some urges…and then they have to do something to… satisfy those… urges… on their own…" I trailed off, hoping that he would get the idea.

Thankfully, this was more than enough information for Charlie. Even in the darkness, I could see the dark blush on his face, though I was sure that the blush on my face was at least as dark as his, as he stuttered something that sounded like an apology and quickly left the room again, closing the door firmly behind him.

I let out a deep sigh of relief, followed by a giggle.

"What's so funny, Miss Swan?" Edward's husky whisper and the additional weight on the bed alerted me to the fact that my fiancé was back.

"That was so embarrassing! And you must have been really focused on me, Mr. Cullen," I whispered back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close, so that we were lying next to each other, touching in most places. "That you didn't hear Charlie wake up."

He chuckled lightly. "That's what you do to me, my love. I only have eyes for you. And now, I think we've risked enough for tonight. It's time to sleep for the human."

I pouted, but I knew that he was right. As great as the past few minutes had been – minus, of course, Charlie's visit – it was too risky to continue this with my father in the room next door. At least tonight. "Okay… good night, Edward."

I closed my eyes, and he began to hum my lullaby. Much to my surprise, I fell asleep almost immediately.

One thing was sure. With his actions, Edward had definitely taken my mind off my worries.

Charlie and I avoided looking at each other most of the time the following morning (why did he have to go to work later as usual today of all days?), as I made and served him breakfast. None of us had forgotten what had happened in the night, but I hoped that by tonight, our interaction would have returned to normal.

"You again heading over to the Cullens today?" he asked, without looking up from his scrambled eggs.

I placed my own plate on the table and sat down, as I answered, "That's the plan. Edward will get me in about half an hour."

Charlie sighed, and, for the first time that morning, looked directly into my eyes. "Bells… You've been spending a lot of time over there because of the wedding. I thought that you didn't want to be as involved as you are now? Even your mother doesn't spend as much time preparing the wedding as you are."

Darn. I should have known that Charlie would catch on to the fact that I was apparently spending way too much time organizing the wedding. But what else was I supposed to tell him? I couldn't possibly reveal to him that I was a Vampire Slayer, preparing for a huge fight that I very likely won't survive, and that I was engaged to a vampire. "I know…" I sighed eventually. "But you know Alice…"

"Yes, I do know her," he grinned slightly. "And you know I love Alice as much as you do, but sometimes she is a bit too much. You shouldn't let her push you to do things you don't want to do, Bells."

"I won't," I promised. "But this wedding means so much to all of them. And I want to help to make it perfect."

"Does it mean as much to you as to the others?"

Charlie's question surprised me. It didn't happen very often with Charlie and me that we had a heart to heart like this. I was… touched by his concern for me. He was waiting for an answer, I could see that in his patient eyes, but I couldn't answer him immediately. His question reminded me of something that Edward had said, before we had made our engagement official. That I always wanted to please other people. And if I had to be honest, the wedding itself, this big party that Alice was planning, didn't mean as much to me as it meant to her and the others.

"No," I answered honestly. "The wedding, and with this I mean the fancy dress, the flowers, the reception and everything else that's being planned, doesn't mean that much to me. But I love Edward, I love my families, and for them I would walk through fire."

"Or down a long aisle in a long white dress," Charlie murmured with an affectionate smile on his face. "You never change, Bells. But I know that it makes you happy to make others happy. Just, promise me that you will also do what _you _want."

"I promise, dad," I whispered, suddenly feeling tears in my eyes. He put his fork down on his now empty plate and rose from his chair. I felt his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently, before he took his jacket and his gun and left the house without another word.

I quickly finished my own eggs, before I began doing the dishes, the whole time lost in thoughts. I usually wasn't one for brooding, but after what Charlie had said, I couldn't help but wonder about several things.

Charlie was right. I didn't want this big wedding, but by now, after everything that had happened in the last few weeks, I noticed that I wasn't as opposed to the idea of marriage as I used to be.

I realized that I could now think about the wedding without flinching inwardly every time, and also the terms husband and wife, fiancé and fiancée and engagement didn't bring the usual horror with them.

Could it really be that I really wanted to become Edward's wife? That I wanted to be married?

This thought hit me with such a force that the plate I had been washing fell back into the hot water with a loud splash. Only thanks to my new reflex I managed to jump backwards, before the water could hit me. Muttering curses under my breath, I immediately grabbed a towel and began to mop up the water, when a musical voice interrupted me.

"Do you need any help, Miss Swan?" Edward was suddenly kneeling next to me, also rubbing a towel along the wet spots on the floor.

"Thanks," I muttered, blushing once again. Only this time it was not because I was embarrassed, not even because of what had happened last night between Edward and me. No, it was because of the last thought, the realization that I really wanted to get married to Edward. I didn't just want forever with him. I wanted to be his _wife_.

For a moment I contemplated, if I wanted to share this revelation with him, but then decided that now was neither the right time nor the right place. And besides, I definitely needed some time to get used to this thought myself before I could tell him. Though I was very sure that he would be overjoyed to hear me say it.

"I thought your clumsy days were over?" Edward half-asked, half-stated, when the floor was dry again and I turned my full attention back to the dishes, pointedly ignoring his question or statement, whatever it was. Fortunately the plate I had dropped wasn't broken, so I scrubbed it again until it was completely clean and gave it to Edward. He raised his eyebrow questioningly, so I just said,

"You could dry the dishes. Get used to some chores, you know, because I won't be doing all the chores all on my own, once we're married."

"As you wish, my love." His cool breath once again tickled my neck, teasing me, as he reached over me for a dry towel and began to do his part.

We finished the dishes in comfortable silence, only exchanging grins now and then. I could tell that we were both thinking about last night and our _interruption_. It was nice, being here with Edward like this, without all the drama that usually surrounded us. Just us two, a boy and a girl, enjoying some time together.

"I was thinking," Edward suddenly broke the silence. "And I've already talked to my family and the Scoobies about this and they agree."

"Agree to what?" Now I was curious. What could he have talked to them about?

"That today the Slayers will have a day off, all the Slayers," he added with a mischievous smile on his face. "And Alice said that it's not supposed to rain today, so I thought that maybe you'd like to go to the meadow?"

I frowned. While this sounded great, there wasn't much time left anymore. Including today, there were only eleven more days until the Volturi arrived and there was still so much to do. While I was sure that I was improving nicely in the Slayer department, I also knew that I still wasn't good enough to face the Volturi and that I had to work hard until they arrived. My face, which had brightened at first with his idea, fell again. "We can't," I sighed. "I have to train."

"No," Edward insisted, putting his hands on my shoulders. "What you need is a day off. Just as the other girls. You have all worked so hard, so you need some time to recharge your batteries. Tomorrow, you can start training again and I will even help you, I promise. But today, let's just enjoy some time together, okay?"

"But what about my vision? I thought we were going to talk about it today?"

"Giles knows about the vision by now. He's come back two hours ago, and he believes you. Now that we know that the Volturi have recruited demons, we can prepare for this."

"He's back? What about the mole?" I asked, really wanting to know who had ratted me out to the Volturi, whether knowing that I would get in trouble with them, or not.

"He, Willow and a coven of apparently very capable witches have scoured the Council, questioning every single member, be it Watcher or simply a secretary, and yes, they've found her."

"Her?" I wondered. I had somehow imagined that the mole would be a man.

Edward nodded. "Yes, her. She is a young Watcher, just out of the Academy, and has survived the attacks of the First. The Watcher who had been responsible for organizing the data of the Potentials and the current Slayer had been killed, so she had been approached by the Volturi directly after she had been offered the position on the Council. She had been promised power and money – unfortunately something that most humans still fall victim to – and had given them all the information about the new Slayer, or as is the case now, the new Slayers that was available to her."

"Including the data about me," I mumbled.

"Yes, but Giles assured me that she didn't know about your connections to the supernatural. Yours was just one name of many that the Volturi got their hands on."

I nodded, not knowing if I should be relieved by this or not. Would it have been better, if my name had gotten to the Volturi on purpose or like now, by accident? I didn't know. But somehow, if she had given my name to the Volturi, knowing that they knew me and my family, it wouldn't make everything so senseless. Knowing that it had happened by accident that my family and my new friends will most likely die… This was senseless.

"Come on, Bella," Edward whispered, and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Stop thinking about it. However it has happened, we can't change it anymore. Let's just head to the meadow and enjoy this day."

Sighing, I rested my cheek against his chest. "Alright… let's go."

Edward was right. There was nothing we could do to change it. The only thing we could do now was to make sure that the Volturi wouldn't kill us.

After a quiet moment for myself, to gather my thoughts, I looked up at Edward with a grin on my face. "Can we run again?"

Edward laughed. The most beautiful sound in the entire universe. "Sure we can."

Edward had kept his word and we had run to the meadow hand in hand, after Edward had parked his Volvo at the end of the dirt path that led to the non-trail. I was glad that I hadn't needed to watch every single step, because I had been totally entranced by the look of pure happiness on Edward's face, as he had shared this experience with me again. I couldn't help but return his bright smile every time he turned to look at me.

Edward was of course right again. After the last few stressful days it was nice to be able to relax like this, to have fun and to enjoy myself. And I would have never really thought a few weeks ago that I would ever enjoy running through the forest this much. But what was there not to love? The wind whipping past my face, not worrying about stumbling over a root or worse, my own feet, and just this feeling of freedom. It was amazing.

Once we reached the meadow, I watched in surprise as Edward took a blanket out of the backpack he had been carrying, along with some Tupperware containers. He spread the blanket on the grass and sat down on it, before he put the Tupperware containers on the blanket in front of him. Trust him to be prepared for everything.

When Edward motioned for me to come to him, I settled down on the blanket next to him with a smile. "What's in there?" I asked him, pointing to the containers.

"Just your favorites," he answered mysteriously. "Close your eyes. And no peeking."

"Edward, you know I don't like surprises," I complained, but did as I was told nonetheless. I heard him open two of the containers and licked my lips in anticipation. While I wasn't really hungry, running here had certainly worked up an appetite, and I couldn't wait to taste what he had brought.

"Open your mouth," he commanded gently and I did. Something dripped on my tongue and as I bit down, I couldn't help but sigh at the heavenly taste in my mouth. The sweetest milk chocolate, combined with fresh strawberries was the best I had tasted in days. Even Esme's best dinner couldn't compare with this simple, but truly delicious treat. "Do you like it?"

Edward sounded a bit nervous, though I had no idea why, so I only nodded eagerly and opened my mouth again. Chuckling, Edward put another strawberry covered in chocolate into my mouth. When I opened my eyes, I could see the amusement sparkle in his topaz eyes. It was always so fascinating for him to watch me eat, especially when I did it with such pleasure.

Edward continued to feed me strawberries until the container was empty. I closed my eyes with a happy and at the same time disappointed sigh and lied back on the blanket. While the sun wasn't out, the cloud cover was more white than gray and the air was pleasantly warm. I allowed myself to relax for the first time in days, and didn't even notice that Edward had joined me until I felt his cool lips on mine.

I gasped, as I realized that they tasted like chocolate, and Edward used this chance to slip his tongue into my mouth. I couldn't believe my luck that, twice in one day already, Edward was so daring, going past the boundaries he had set himself in our physical relationship. Without opening my eyes, I returned his kiss with as much enthusiasm, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him even closer. His hands once again found the hem of my shirt and pushed it up slightly, exploring my pale skin underneath with his fingers.

I shivered, but not from the coolness of his hands, but with the pleasure his kisses and touches brought me. If it was possible, I pulled him even closer and I was happy, when Edward didn't object at all.

I don't know how much time we spent like this until we broke apart and I put my head to rest on his chest. I knew that if his heart were beating, it would beat at least as fast as mine did at this very moment. His arm snaked around my waist, holding me in place. We weren't speaking, just enjoying the silence and each other. Everything else would ruin the moment.

And only a short time later, something decided to ruin the moment, as my stomach grumbled loudly, making me realize that it must be a lot later than I had thought.

"Lunch time for the human," Edward whispered against my hair with a chuckle.

"Don't wanna move," I mumbled. "Besides, it's too late for lunch."

"What about an early dinner then? Come, let me help you." Edward gently pushed me up into a sitting position and I sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him, when it was about my physical wellbeing, even if it was just a rumbling stomach. "I've made some sandwiches for you."

Edward just wanted to take a third container out of his backpack, when another rumbling sound interrupted the silence. Only this time, it didn't come from my stomach. I looked up and realized with a start that the previously light cloud cover had become a lot darker over the past hours. And exactly at this moment, I felt the first raindrop, followed by a second and then thousands of thick raindrops fell down on us.

I squealed and immediately jumped up from the blanket. Edward quickly put everything back into the backpack, his hands becoming blurry, he was moving so fast. And then, just as he said, "Jump onto my back," I began to laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

He appeared to be completely bewildered, so I laughed even harder. "It's already too late, Edward," I told him, gasping for breath. "I'm already completely drenched."

After he had looked at me for a moment, he laughed. "You're right. You look like a drowned rat."

"Hey!" I protested, even though I knew he was right. And again, it was so unfair, as he was still looking like the statue of a Greek god. The water was running down his sharp cheekbone, dripping onto his nose from his now deep bronze hair.

Pulling me close for a moment, he whispered, "But a really cute drowned rat."

Leaning up to him, I captured his lips with my own, ready to continue what we had begun earlier. Edward was an eager participant in this, but eventually, I started to shiver, only it was not because of the kiss, but because of the rain and his cold skin.

Before I could become too cold from his nearness to me and the rain, Edward let go again and handed me the backpack. "But we should really get home, before you get sick."

With a sigh, I put the backpack on and jumped on Edward's back. And then he was off, running through the forest at full speed. For the first time, I kept my eyes open and for the first time, I didn't get sick. I could only marvel at the speed and the different shades of green and brown that rushed past us. It was at this moment that I fully realized how fast Edward really was and that the two times we had been running together, he had been holding back – a lot.

I didn't mind, however, because Edward was finally, finally opening up, allowing our physical relationship to progress past whatever restrictions he had set himself. I knew of course that we weren't fully equal, but Edward was beginning to see that I was not breakable anymore, or at least not as breakable as I used to be. I really couldn't be happier about that.

The rain was still falling as hard as in the meadow, when we reached the car. My clothes were by now so heavy with water, my skin so wet and so cold, that I began to shiver in earnest. Everything was dripping, drops of water from my nose, from my hair and from my clothes. And when I looked at the leather interior of the Volvo I realized that there was no way in hell I was going to get inside this car while being so wet.

Edward had already opened the door on the passenger side, waiting for me to get in, but I only shook my head, "I will ruin the leather seats."

For a moment, Edward frowned, looking from his beloved car to me, before he eventually shook his head. "Get in. The leather can be replaced. You'll just get sick if you stay in this rain much longer."

Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I stood my ground. I wouldn't let Edward pay any more money for me. In any case, if I ruined his leather seats, it would have to be me who replaced them – not that Edward would hear any of it. "I can just run. It's not that far."

"Don't be stupid, Bella." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm not stupid," I protested and pointedly looked away. It was then that I saw something on the steering wheel. "What's that?"

Within the blink of an eye, Edward had leaned across the seats and came back with a note. "That's Alice's handwriting," he observed.

"_'Look into the trunk.'_ Why would she leave a note in your car? How did she even get into your car? And didn't you say that she said that it wouldn't rain?" I suddenly remembered him saying this very clearly – after all, this was one of the reasons why I had agreed to go to the meadow with him.

Edward only shrugged, as he hurried around the car to the trunk. I followed him and gazed inside, after he had opened it. There were two bags inside and something that looked like a gigantic umbrella. It was the umbrella that Edward took out first, opening it. I sighed in relief, as I felt no more raindrops fall down on me. The umbrella really was huge, easily covering each of us and the whole trunk. While holding the umbrella with one hand, Edward opened one bag and peered inside.

"I think this is for you," he said with a grin.

Confused, I took the bag and the first thing I saw was a large fluffy towel. Under the towel there were new jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers. I scowled. Had Alice lied to Edward, when she had told him about the rain? Had she seen that we both would be drenched? However, I couldn't remain angry for very long, as my shivering was again growing stronger. Without waiting for another moment, I pulled my T-shirt over my head, throwing it into the trunk.

"What are you doing?" Edward gasped, as I undid the buttons of my jeans. He stared at me and I grinned.

"I'm getting out of these wet clothes. I'm gonna get dry again and then, I will get dressed in the new clothes Alice packed for me. And you will do the same, because I think that Alice has packed you some new things as well."

I shimmied out of my jeans and the cool breeze that hit me sent goosebumps over my whole body. I immediately felt the soft and warm towel around my shoulders. I looked up and saw Edward gaze at me in worry. He pushed the bag into my arms and said, "Get inside the car and get dressed. I'll be with you in a moment."

More than happy to get out of the cold and the wet and back into dry clothes, I quickly climbed into the backseat, where I wrapped the towel even tighter around my shaking body and rubbed it dry. Only a minute later, the driver's door opened and Edward got inside, of course, completely dry and in dry clothes. He already started the car and put on the heat.

I sighed in happiness, once I pulled the dry T-shirt over my head. Finally dry again. "I hope you didn't peek," I teased Edward, as I, with an agility that I hadn't possessed until a few weeks ago, climbed from the backseat into the passenger seat.

"Of course not," Edward replied, but I could tell by the mischievous grin on his face, that he might have peeked a little bit. Who would have thought? My Edward, the gentleman, was slowly turning into a typical seventeen year-old boy.

We drove home in silence, Edward's hand resting on my own during the whole ride. We sneaked glances at each other, the whole time smiling. I hadn't felt this relaxed in really long time and realized that Edward had been right. This day off had been a good idea.

When we stopped in front of Charlie's house, the cruiser was already there. The hard rain had turned into a slight drizzle, so I was ready to leave the car again. "You wanna come inside?" I asked Edward, as I took off my seatbelt.

"No," he shook his head. "I better go hunting. It's been pretty long since the last time. But I'll come over later tonight. But here, there should be enough sandwiches for you and Charlie."

He handed me the container that Edward hadn't even gotten around to open because of the rain. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't come inside, but I could also see that his eyes were pretty dark and that a hunting trip was in order, especially with the many humans around their house at the moment. "Okay, I see you later then." I leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on his lips. I didn't want to risk this turning into another make-out session, not with Charlie being able to see us from the window.

I waved, as he drove off, and then quickly hurried inside. "Hey there, dad, I'm back."

"Hey Bells!" His voice was coming from the living room and I could hear that the TV was running. After I had taken off my shoes, I went straight to the living room, taking the container with me. "What's this?" he asked, when he saw it.

"Alice gave Edward and me the day off today and we had a picnic. At least until we were surprised by the rain, so we didn't get around to eating those sandwiches. Edward said that there should be enough for the two of us."

When I said that there were sandwiches inside, Charlie immediately leaned over and took one. I watched him take a bite, afraid of his reaction to Edward's sandwiches, but I was calmed down, when he took another bite. "The sandwiches are great! You said Edward made them?"

I chuckled. "At least he said so. Maybe Esme's helped him a bit." Now I also took one, my stomach once again complaining of hunger. And Charlie was right – these sandwiches were really delicious. Soon, between the two of us, we had cleared the container.

"So, you had a day off, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"You weren't in town by any chance?"

"No, we had the picnic on a meadow outside of town. Why do you ask?"

"Well, when I was driving through town this afternoon, I saw Jake with that new friend of yours, Dawn. He looked really happy."

I couldn't help but smile at this. When Jake looked happy, their afternoon must have gone well. "That's good. Jake deserves some happiness." Suddenly I felt my mobile vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and grinned. "Speaking of the devil… that's Dawn. I'm gonna go upstairs."

I only heard Charlie mumble something that sounded like goodnight, as I bounded up the stairs, while answering the phone.

"Hey Dawn!" I greeted her, as I went into my room and closed the door.

Dawn sounded happy, as she answered, "Hey Bella. I hope I'm not disturbing you, but the Cullens said they wanted to go hunting and I wasn't sure if…"

"Edward's with them… So no, you're not disturbing me. So, what's up?" I lay sat down on my bed, Indian style, and adjusted the phone to a more comfortable position. "Charlie said he saw you and Jake in town today?"

"Yes, that's why I'm calling." It sounded as if she took a really deep breath. "Listen, Bella. I have some questions."

"What is it? Didn't you have a nice day?"

"Oh, I did, the day was really nice," she almost gushed. "And that's the crux of the problem. You know that I swore to myself that I would give Jake a hard time? Well, that's proving to be a lot harder than I thought. He's just so… nice. And funny. And… I'm not sure, if it's just because of this imprinting-business, or if it's because he's really like this."

I smiled, when I heard her description of Jake, my best friend, my sun. "When he isn't in one of his cynical and sarcastic moods, then yes, he's really like this, Dawn. You remember how I told you that Jake was my own personal sun, when Edward had left me?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Nothing could make me laugh back then, but he did. He was there for me, slowly putting me back together, always so patient. And then I broke his heart. This time he fell apart and it hurt me so much to know that I couldn't put him back together. You haven't seen him before he met you, Dawn. He was so miserable. He had run away from home in his wolf-form to escape the pain. And then he met you and you became the center of his universe."

"But I don't want to be the center of his universe," she growled.

I sighed. "Look Dawn, you know that your relationship doesn't have to be a romantic one. He can be your friend, your brother, or just your protector from afar, as long as you let him in. You are not forced to be with him in _this_ special way. You once said that you didn't want your decisions to be taken away from yourself, but your decisions aren't being taken away. You can still date other guys, marry another man, and Jake will be your friend, nothing more. Whatever you want him to be."

Although it would hurt me to see him this way, even if it made him happy. But I remember him telling me that even though Quil had to wait for Claire to grow up to develop any romantic feelings for her, he just didn't see other girls in that way anymore. I didn't want Jake to be lonely forever, without someone to love him just as he deserved to be loved. However, for now I just had to get Dawn to get to know Jake, so that maybe, maybe in the far future, she could be the one for him.

Even if this whole thing with imprinting _was_ disturbing on so many levels, Dawn had to understand that there would never be anyone in this world, who would be more loyal to her, more devoted and who would love her more than Jake.

"But isn't this unfair to him?" she whispered eventually. "If I allow this to happen, if I allow myself to get to know him better, wouldn't I just use him? Wouldn't it be wrong?"

Her answer surprised me a bit, but it also made me smile. This answer just showed that she was beginning to care for him. "How can something that makes him this happy be wrong? Listen, I don't want to sound arrogant, but I don't think that Jake would have ever gotten over me, if he hadn't met you. And I'm happy to see him not hurting anymore. You know, maybe you should visit Emily Young – she's Sam's fiancée and his imprint. Maybe you can understand this whole thing better, if you talk to her."

Dawn was silent for a moment, before she said, "You're right. Maybe I should do that."

"I can even come with you, if you want," I offered.

"Thanks. That'd be great."

Again silence fell between us, which I finally interrupted with my question, "Dawn, please be honest with me. Do you like Jake?"

I heard grumbling on the other end and then an annoyed sigh. "Yes, I'm beginning to like him."

Edward came later that night. I had already dozed off, after having talked to Dawn for almost two hours about this and that. Once the serious conversation about Jake and her had been concluded with her admission that she liked him, she began to question me about my day. I still couldn't believe that I had told her about almost everything that had happened, including the interruption that night.

"Go back to sleep, my love," Edward only whispered, as I stirred when he climbed into my bed. He immediately began to hum my lullaby and within seconds I had fallen asleep again.

My dreams that night only consisted of Edward and me and our magical day in the meadow.

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**End notes: You know, I'm really bad at drawing and working with photoshop, so I thought, if maybe one of you is inspired by this story, I'd be more than happy to see what you have drawn and/or worked on. :o)**


	16. Weapon

**A/N: So, I hope that this isn't the last chapter, before my summer hols end and I have to go back to teaching, but I will do my best to finish another chapter before I have to go back to school. And again thanks a lot for your amazing reviews! I hope you'll like this chapter, because it took me a long time and some changes, before I was satisfied with the result.**

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**Chapter 15: Weapon**

Edward and I arrived later at the Cullens' house the following morning than we were used to. I had been a bit worried about that, when Edward had woken me up about one hour later than usual, but he had then explained to me that I would join the other girls later for training. First, we would have a Scooby meeting (I still couldn't get over the fact that a group destined to fight evil would be using a name that was based on a cartoon series from the seventies) to talk about all the latest developments, including my dreams and what Giles had found out at the Council.

To my surprise, both Sam and Jacob were already in the living room, together with Faith, the Scoobies, Tanya and Eleazar, and my family. I waved at Jake and smiled at him, at the same time already planning to ask Sam, if Dawn might talk to Emily about her imprinting-problem.

"Are the others training already?" I asked them, after I had greeted them.

Carlisle nodded. "Kate and Carmen have taken the girls to the field, where they once again meet with the wolves."

"Alright. So, what's the sitch?" I wanted to know, as Edward and I took our seats on the couch next to Xander. I grimaced inwardly, when I realized that I had once again started to talk like the Scoobies. It was amazing how contagious their way of speaking could be. "What did you find out?"

I looked at Giles, waiting for him to answer, but Alice beat him to it, as she announced, "Well, I for one think I know why my visions don't show the demons."

Edward's face lit up, when he heard the theory in her head. "That makes a lot of sense, Alice. Why don't you share your news with us?"

Rolling her eyes, Alice hissed playfully, "Geez. I was just about to tell you, before you interrupted me. Whatever… I have this theory that I can see vampires best, because I am one, and humans okay, because I was one. The wolves and the demons from your vision are only hybrids, as Giles has once again explained to me, not really pure _demons_." Alice frowned, when she said this word, obviously not thinking of herself and the other Cullens as demons – as a matter of fact, neither did I, even though history and mythology claimed that they were; I mean, how could a being with a soul be called a demon? "So, because I'm neither of those, I'm no wolf or another hybrid, I can't see them. They're nothing I've experienced!"

"That's… that's extraordinary, Alice," Giles commented. "And you are right, Edward, this makes perfectly sense."

Despite having found the solution to her vision problems – not just with the demons, but also with the wolves – she was pouting, "But now I can't be of any help. The demons could interfere with my visions at any time."

Jake laughed. "Aw, don't worry about the demons, pixie. After all, don't you already have problems seeing the battle at all with us being there?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Alice grumbled, "Yeah, I do."

I was astounded at the easy camaraderie between my two best friends, but then I remembered that Jake was probably trying to get along better with my new family for Dawn's sake. Just what had happened yesterday? I almost expected Jake to go over to Alice and ruffle through her short black hair.

Suppressing a giggle at that thought, though a grin slipped through, I tried to listen to the conversation that had continued.

"However," Giles said, "as it is, there will be demons in the coming battle. Which is both good and bad, I'd say."

"How?" I asked stupidly. In my head it was only bad that we now also had to deal with the demons on top of the Volturi. The Volturi themselves were already a lot to deal with, and with the added number of the demons, the battle was even more impossible to win than it had been before.

"Of course, the fight will become more difficult with the higher number of opponents. However, demons are something our Slayers are familiar with. They know how to fight them, it's what they're made for. But, even after all the training they have undergone until now, and even with the added power the Scythe gave them during their activation, I still believe that they will be hard-pressed to kill one of the Old Ones. Now they have an enemy that they can fight and defeat. This might achieve two things – one, it will give them confidence and two, the Volturi might lose confidence if they see, how their demon army goes down."

Swallowing hard, I tried to keep my growing panic at bay. So I wasn't the only one who thought that the Slayers stood no chance against the Volturi. And it was difficult to be as optimistic as Giles was about the presence of the demons. I could feel Edward's worried gaze on me, but I didn't turn to meet his eyes. Because right now I was sure that he would see everything in there that he couldn't see in my mind, my own worries, my fear…

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand covering my own, and startled by this, I turned my head. Xander squeezed my hand lightly, as he said with an encouraging smile, "Chin up, Bells. We've defeated harder opponents before. Don't forget the First Evil itself. And, who knows, maybe we'll get our hands on another rocket launcher. I'm sure Will can use her mojo to get one of them to Forks." Then, he suddenly grinned mischievously and winked at me. "Can't wait to see what it would do to one of the vultures."

I could only nod, feeling the tears in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away, hoping that no one had seen them, and gave Xander's hand a squeeze. Later, I swore to myself, I would give him a hug. "Thanks…"

Xander only smiled again, and we both turned our attention back to Giles, who was apparently waiting for us. I gave him a sheepish grin, but Giles simply smiled at me, before he continued, "We will, of course, now include strategies to fight different kinds of demons in your training. I believe that this will also be to the benefit of the Quileutes and the Cullens."

"I'm sure it will be," said Carlisle, the eagerness to learn again more clearly visible in his eyes. "The books you have already lent me are very interesting. It's hard to believe that there are so many of them out there, and yet in my nearly four hundred years of life I have never encountered one of those."

I frowned thoughtfully. This was a good point Carlisle had just made. How could it be that none of the Cullens had never met or seen one of those other vampires, or a green scaly demon? According to everything the Scoobies and other Slayers had told me, there were plenty of those demons and vampires running around all over the world.

Clearing his throat, Giles took off his glasses, before he explained, "I believe I've found a possible reason for this in the bit of research I did on Francesca yesterday. I've found the diary of her Watcher, a Sir Richard Gladwin, and there I also found his entries concerning Francesca's last mission. You see, her Watcher had sent her to Volterra, because there had been many mysterious disappearances in the town. He thought that vampires might have been at work there, but didn't worry much about his charge, because, as he wrote in his Watcher's diary, the girl was a very capable Slayer."

Giles looked at us, as we were listening to him with rapt attention. Even though we all already knew what happened, it once again nearly broke my heart to hear this story from the point of view of the man, who couldn't protect his charge. I wondered, if this Sir Richard was a Watcher like Giles, who cared about his Slayer, or if the was just one of those, who only regarded their Slayers like expendable tools – one dies, another one is called.

I had been so lost in my thoughts, that I almost flinched in surprise, when Giles continued his tale, "However, when she didn't return after one day, as they had agreed on, he ventured into the town as well. He searched the whole town for her and the only thing he found of her was the bronze cross she had been wearing around her neck. However, there was another thing that stroke him as odd – there was not a single vampire or demon to be found in Volterra. Not even the trace of one. So he did some research on the town and found the legend of Saint Marcus, who drove all vampires from Volterra. Carlisle has told me that this is the very same Marcus of the Volturi, but Sir Gladwin didn't know that. Seeing as many legends proved to be true in the end, this explained the absence of the vampires from the town, however, it still didn't explain the disappearance of his Slayer. He feared the worst and two days later, the Council contacted him with the help of a witch to inform him that a new Slayer had been called that day."

Giles stopped there, but this couldn't be the end, could it? "Is that all you found in his diary? Did his records just end there?"

Giles sighed, before he said gently, "Bella, I will tell you something I've told Buffy before. If the Watcher was anything like me, he might find the whole subject of their Slayer's death to be too… painful. And from what I've read in his records, how he described his Slayer, I daresay that he was one of the few Watchers who were closer to their Slayers than the Council permitted. He even kept her cross – it was only added to the Watchers' archive after his death."

"I'm sorry," I murmured, looking down into my lap. "I just… I hoped to find out more about her." More that could have helped me to have my forever with Edward after all.

"I understand," Giles said softly, but that was all he said.

I felt Edward wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me closer to his side. I looked up at him, but he was looking at Giles with a strange look on his face, which had disappeared again so quickly that I thought I had imagined it.

We were all quiet for a long moment afterwards, each of us lost in our own thoughts, though, if I was honest, there had once again been so many thoughts in my head at that moment that it was impossible to recall them all. The new things I had learned, the disappointment, and the ever present, all-dominant fear of my friends and family losing their lives in the battle. I couldn't bear it if one of them got killed – they should just kill me instead and let them live. But I knew that they wouldn't hear any of it – they would fight by my side, fight and die, whether I wanted it or not.

No matter how optimistic the Scoobies were, I just knew that I would never be Mrs. Edward Cullen, and this knowledge hurt just as much as knowing how much it would tear Charlie and Renee apart to find out that I was dead.

Shaking myself from these thoughts, I decided that it was time to break the silence. "You still haven't told us, why you think none of the Cullens have ever met another vampire or demon."

Giles cleared his throat, flushing a bit in embarrassment. He had apparently been caught up in this story just as we had been. "I apologize. Well, I've got this theory that the vampires and demons as I have known them until recently can sense when a stronger, more powerful being – an Old One – is near and that it's anchored in their instincts to stay away from them. Seeing as the town of Volterra is ruled by the Old Ones, they stay clear of this town. Francesca may have been very lucky to have met probably one of the very few vampires that strayed into this town, when she had been there, if the tale of her killing one there is true."

"That sounds quite plausible," Carlisle agreed. "After all, if mythology is right, we are their superior, even though they are, in a twisted way, descended from us." After sighing deeply, Carlisle then muttered, "I wished I could meet one of them and talk to them. Study them. And it would also be marvelous to be able to speak to an Old One from another race."

I noticed that the Scoobies cringed, when Carlisle began talking about studying them. I wondered about that for a split second, until I remembered something that Dawn had told me during our sleepover. About the Initiative, a government organization that had caught and studied demons, labeling them as 'hostiles'. If I remembered correctly, this hadn't turned our well.

Xander's nervous chuckle tore me out of my thoughts, "Well, doc, you'll certainly see plenty of them in just a couple of days. But I'm not so sure if they are too keen on talking to you. I mean, I admit, there are some okay demons out there, but most of them just want to kill and wreak havoc. Oh, and don't forget that most's main goal is the end of world."

"Xander's right," Giles agreed. "And about other Old Ones… Until I met you, the Council had been under the impression that there were no Old Ones left, that they were all either dead or had left this dimension. Now, after meeting you however, I'm not certain if this is true any longer. There might be other races of Old Ones out there, but seeing as we've never encountered one of them, it will be very difficult to find one."

"I understand," Carlisle said, though he sounded a bit disappointed. I hoped that it would cheer him up, when he finally went to London with Giles and could get a look at their library (the true underground library, protected by magic – the normal library had unfortunately been destroyed by the First Evil).

From what Dawn had told me it was one of a kind, so large that you could easily get lost in it, with all the information about mythology, demonology and so many other topics that you could spend a whole lifetime in there without reading even the half of it. I just couldn't wait to see it myself, if I ever got the chance to go to London before the fight, and I was so glad that the First hadn't been able to destroy it. This would have been a tremendous loss.

Suddenly, another question about Giles's visit to England popped into my mind. "Giles, what are you going to do about the mole?"

Giles looked at me a bit baffled, but then he and Edward exchanged a quick look and my fiancé nodded at him to answer his thought question. "Ah, Edward's already told you about Miss Watson. Well, the Council suspended her, of course, and we are keeping her in a room at the Council with only limited contact to the outside world until we hold a trial and then decide her fate. There will naturally also be further interrogations, but all this has to wait until this crisis is over."

"I see." I clenched my fists tightly. So she was in the Council building in London. That was interesting.

Training continued to be interesting as well, especially as some girls had apparently gone to London the previous day and got a couple of bags filled with weapons. And not the modern day weapons I had expected – no guns and rifles, no rocket launcher. No, the bags were filled with swords of different lengths and forms, staffs, crossbows, axes and other things I couldn't even name and only knew from medieval movies.

Those bags of goodies (Faith's words, not mine) had first been brought forth when I had arrived at our new training grounds after the Scooby meeting. The other Slayers couldn't wait to get their hands on some sharp and pointy weapons, but I hesitated. I only remembered too well the clumsy me, the me that would have been able to cut off a finger with a butter knife. How could they trust me with an arrow or, even worse, a sword?

"You're going to be fine," Edward reassured me, rubbing my arms, even though he had eyed the sword I had finally picked up a bit warily. "I'm sure you'll get used to them just as easily as you got used to the hand-to-hand combat."

It was weird, hearing Edward talk about my training like that, but it warmed me from the inside. He was finally accepting what I had become a few weeks ago, he had accepted the Slayer and everything it entailed – okay, maybe not everything; I still didn't know how he would react, if Faith decided to take me slaying for real.

"I hope so… Giles said that he could teach me the basics," I told him, though he probably already knew this from Giles's thoughts. "By the way, earlier when Giles was talking about the Watcher's diary of Sir Gladwin, you were giving him a strange look. What was this about?"

"It's nothing," Edward said. "I was just amazed at how organized and focused his mind is. When he is concentrating on something, he doesn't allow his mind to wander. For example, when he said that he can't tell you more about Francesca from what he has learned in the diary, it was the only thing he was thinking about. It is a remarkable trait I don't find in many humans, because most people begin to have thoughts that relate to the topic they are talking about. The only other thought Giles had had was that he was sorry he couldn't give you more."

"Hey, little B!" Faith suddenly called out, interrupting our conversation before I could say something more about Giles. "Come over here, I wanna show ya something!"

Edward chuckled and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "You better go to her. She wants to show you something good."

Glaring at Edward, because he obviously wasn't going to tell me, what it was that Faith wanted to show me, I grumbled, "Okay." Cautiously, I put the sword back into the bag and wandered over to where Faith was standing. She was holding something that looked like a case for a musical instrument in her hand, while another heavy looking box was lying next to her on the ground. "What is it?"

She smirked at me and put the case on the ground. "Go on, open it."

I still hesitated a little, not knowing if this was a trap (maybe to test my reflexes or something) or even what could be in there. In the end, I just took a deep breath and opened the gaze. My breath caught, as I spotted what was lying inside of it. I had already seen it in many of my visions, but now looking at the real thing, it took my breath away. The Scythe. The legendary weapon of the Slayer, the weapon that Willow had used to awaken the Slayer power in all of us.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, my hands moving towards it, but not touching it.

They were hovering only an inch over the weapon, and already I could feel it hum to me, call to me. The power that this weapon possessed was incredible. I just knew that, once I held it in my hands, I would be able to kill everything. Not even Felix would stand a chance.

"May I?" I asked, without looking at Faith, still entranced by this weapon in front of me.

"Go ahead."

I could hear the amused chuckle in her voice, but ignored it, as I slowly lowered my hands until they were touching the leather hilt. A surge of power spread through my body, so strong that I had to close my eyes. "Whoa!"

"It really is something, isn't it?" Faith said, but I didn't react. Without asking this time, I rose and slashed the Scythe through the air a few times. It was almost singing, when I did that. I couldn't believe how easy it was to handle – there was almost no effort behind it. It seemed to know what I wanted to do. I needed no knowledge of weapons or further training to fight with it. It just came to me.

It was almost intoxicating.

However, at the same moment I realized this, I stopped what I had been doing. Now that I was back in the present, I noticed that everyone was looking at me, and suddenly I started to feel unworthy of this weapon. I was just so new to this, that I had no right to use it. Faith had surely just shown me the Scythe to show me what had awoken the Slayer power in me.

"Here," I said, as I held it out to her. "This is yours."

"No, Bella," I was startled, when she called me by my name with a seriousness in her voice that I hadn't heard before, "this weapon belongs to all of us. It's the weapon of the Slayer, and for this fight, the girls and I have decided that the Scythe should be yours."

I didn't know what to say, so I just stuttered a simple, "Thank you." I once again gazed down at the weapon in wonder, and just for a moment, for a split second, I believed that with this weapon on our side, we might just win the fight.

"No need to thank me, little B." Ah, Faith was back to her usual self. "Besides, I've got another nice little weapon, which is much cooler than this fancy Scythe."

I raised my eyebrow and watched curiously, as Faith opened the metal box. Inside I saw something that resembled a huge hammer. "What's this?"

"This," Faith explained, as she lifted the very heavy looking hammer out of the box, "is a troll hammer. According to B, it could hurt a god, so I guessed it should also work against some vultures."

"Ah," I now understood. This hammer had also featured in some of the stories that Dawn had told me. "That's the hammer Buffy used against Glory."

"Right on one," Faith smirked again, but then, unexpectedly, she was again showing her serious side. "So, you better get used to your new toy, because if I'm not wrong, the Scythe and the hammer will be the only two things that can do any damage to the sparkly vamps."

Deep inside, I had already feared this, but hearing her say it made it all the more true. "How do you know?"

"We did some tests yesterday. Em was our guinea pig, and the only two things that didn't bounce off his skin were the Scythe and the hammer."

"You didn't!" I gasped. I looked over my shoulder to Emmett, who was looking in our direction. I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping to convey that I wasn't happy with him, but he only grinned cheekily and waved at me.

"Don't worry, little B. The big teddy bear is fine. And at least now we know what we're up against."

I swallowed and once again stared down at the Scythe in my hands. Now knowing that Faith and I were the only Slayers who would be able to do any damage to the Volturi and their guard made the task of using this weapon a lot more daunting.

I chanced a glance over at Xander, hoping against hope that he hadn't been kidding, when he had talked about getting a rocket launcher.

For the remainder of that training, I decided to put the Scythe back into its case. I thought that, before I started to train with something as powerful as this, I should get used to some of the other weapons. Giles was more than happy to give me a short instruction on the most important weapons – the sword, the crossbow, a quarterstaff and of course, the good old stake that I had already used in Port Angeles. I was still amazed, when I realized how easily I got the hang of using the weapons – at least in the most basic moves.

We all took a break when Esme arrived with Emmett's jeep and more than enough sandwiches – now I definitely knew that Esme had had a hand in making the sandwiches the day before, because they tasted just as delicious - to feed an entire Slayer army and a pack of hungry wolves, even though only Jake, Seth and Sam phased back to join us. While we were eating, I used this chance to ask Sam if Dawn might come over to talk to Emily about imprinting. Fortunately, he said that he would talk to her and that he thought she would love to do this for another wolf girl. He would tell me what Emily had said tomorrow, but guessed that Dawn might as well come over tomorrow after training.

Giles continued instructing me in the use of different weapons after lunch, until we were suddenly interrupted at about half past four in the afternoon, when Kate approached us.

"Bella?" she asked, when she had gotten our attention and I had lowered the sword I had used to spar with Giles. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Wiping a light sheen of sweat from my forehead, I answered, "Sure… I mean, if Giles doesn't mind."

"No, no…" Giles gasped. First now I realized that his face was red and that he was already panting for air. I grinned a bit sheepishly, as he wiped his face with a handkerchief. "Go ahead… I… I'll just take a break."

"Oops," I muttered, as I watched him go, holding his sides and muttering something about getting old. Turning back to Kate, I asked, "What can I do for you?"

She seemed to hesitate for a split second. "Do you remember what Eleazar has said about you having this defensive power, about being a shield?"

"Yes," I nodded, a bit warily. I wondered where she was going with this. "Eleazar thinks that this is my talent, my gift."

"He doesn't just think this, he knows this. I mean, with all those mental gifts not working on you it is kind of obvious, really. And if this power is already so strong, while you're still a human, I can only guess at how powerful you would be, if you were a vampire." She paused for a moment, before she suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand with a concentrated look on her face. I frowned in confusion. She, however, only grinned. "You didn't feel that, did you?"

"Feel what?" I asked her.

Kate's cold hand left mine again, as she explained, "Has no one ever told you? I have an ability, too. I can shock people. It's like a current that's running over my skin and when someone touches me, they drop to the ground like a human that's been tasered. Only for a second, unfortunately, but for us vampires that's long enough."

"That's… good, I think…"

"You want to know why I'm telling you this, right?" she laughed and I nodded. "Well, I wanted to ask you something. Have you ever managed to project your shield?"

"Project?" I asked stupidly.

"Push it out from yourself. Shield someone besides yourself… I'm sure that you could do it, if you were a vampire, with your shield already being as strong as it is now, but I can't help but wonder, if you are already powerful enough as a Slayer."

"I… I don't know. I've never tried… I mean, until two days ago I didn't even know that I had a power like this." Even though I wished that I could do this. If I could just project my shield to protect the others from the Volturi's attacks. I remembered with horror the one time in Volterra, when Jane had tortured Edward. I wished I could have protected him from it back then. But what… What if I could do it now? What if I could somehow project my shield to include others?

But no, Kate had said that I would be able to do it, if I were a vampire, but I'm only a Slayer and I guessed that I was nowhere near powerful enough as a Slayer.

My hopes immediately sank again. In the end, it would once again only be me who was immune to powers like Jane's and Aro's.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice that Willow was suddenly standing next to me, until she began talking. Out of the corners of my eyes, I now also saw Edward walking towards us with a most curious look on his face. Realizing that Willow might have something important to tell us, I turned my full attention towards her.

"I'm sorry," she said with a knowing grin on her face, "but I couldn't help but overhear parts of what you were talking about. And I think I have something interesting to contribute to this conversation."

Edward was now standing behind me, having wrapped his arms around my stomach and resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back and sighed quietly, inhaling his unique scent. "Go on, Willow," he urged.

"Bella, do you remember what happened, when we took you slaying in Port Angeles?"

I shuddered lightly, when I thought back to that night. While at first it had just been two vampires, more had come and I had been cornered. There had just been too many for me to fight, as untrained as I had been then, and I had been losing. And then, Willow mumbling her spell, my fear for Edward, before it all suddenly stopped, as Edward killed the vampires himself.

"You mean when your spell didn't work? Did you find out what went wrong?"

Willow's eyes sparkled mischievously, as she replied, "Oh yes, I think I know what went wrong. It was you, Bella. You were blocking me. Or rather, you were protecting the vampires."

I felt my mouth fall open. This couldn't be, could it? And yet, Willow seemed to be so convinced of this, that it was hard not believing her. I shook my head, "No, this can't be. You must be wrong. I didn't do anything."

"Do you really think so, Bella?" Willow asked, her eyes still sparkling. "Just think about it. I told you that my spell attacked the minds of the vampires, and when I began the incantation, you knew that this would affect Edward as well. Somehow you must have extended your shield to protect Edward, and by doing this, you accidentally included the other vampires as well. Tell me, what were you thinking – or better, what were you feeling, when this happened?"

Frowning, I tried to think back to that night, to what had been going through my head at the very moment the other vampires had attacked and Willow had begun saying the spell. The only thing I could remember clearly was the panic that Edward was in danger. I had wanted to protect him, I would have done everything, anything, to protect him. I remembered my determination to get to him, to stop Willow before she finished the spell.

"I wanted to protect Edward," I mumbled, still thoughtfully, trying to connect the dots that Willow seemed to see. "I panicked and wanted to stop you. I wanted to do anything to stop the spell and protect Edward."

I felt Edward's arms around my stomach tighten slightly and he kissed the nape of my neck to calm me. My heart had begun to race, because of the memories and I had felt my hands, which were resting on Edward's, gripping his tighter.

"Strong emotions," I heard Willow mumble to herself. She thought for a moment, during which I waited with baited breath for her full solution. But the two words she had already said sounded like a plausible explanation, even though I still couldn't fully believe this. "The power of the Slayer often feeds of strong emotions. And your panic and your determination strengthened your shield so much that you could protect Edward."

I was still shaking my head – that I was already that powerful was something I just couldn't grasp. "Willow could be right," Edward said quietly into my ear, his voice sounding as if he had just had a huge revelation. "Because I believe that I've experienced you doing something with your shield as well. And each time, you were feeling very strong emotions."

I tilted my heads towards Edward, as he took a step around to look at me. The look on his face was so powerful, so full of love and adoration, that it took my breath away and made my heart miss a beat. What could bring such a look on his face? "What are you thinking?" I asked him, echoing a question he had asked me so often since I'd met him. Surprisingly, this question brought my favorite crooked grin to his face.

"That for a very few times in the last weeks, I didn't need to ask you this very question."

Gasping, I raised my hand to my mouth. "You heard my thoughts?"

His hand took mine away and then lovingly cradled my cheek. "Just two or three times… Always when you were feeling very strongly. And every time I thought that I had imagined it, that maybe I had wanted to hear your thoughts, but now I'm not so sure anymore. As a matter of fact, I strongly believe that I did hear your thoughts." Edward leaned closer to me, until his mouth was directly next to my ear, where he whispered, "Just two nights ago, before Charlie interrupted us, you basically ordered me in your thoughts to take off your shirt."

Fighting the blush on my face, I mumbled, "I pushed my shield away."

Willow and Edward were right, both of their evidences spoke for my being able to project my shield. My hands began to shake, as I realized what this meant. If I somehow managed to control this, to find out how I did this, before the Volturi arrived, I could protect at least a few members of my family or a few Slayers and Scoobies from Jane and maybe Alec. My shield could be the deciding factor in the battle and because of this, I just had to master controlling it.

I hurriedly broke away from Edward and grabbed Kate's hand. "I need to learn! I need to figure out how to do this! Whatever it takes! Can you help me?"

Kate nodded with a supportive smile on her face. "I will help you, Bella, I promise. Whatever it takes."

Almost a bit afraid, I gazed back at Edward. I couldn't forget that until recently he hadn't been really supportive of my training, and now I wanted to start something new again, something potentially dangerous, because I had no idea how we would train this. Edward, however, only smiled at me encouragingly. He took my hand again and pulled me closer to him. "I'll help you, too, Bella. I promise, I'll help however I can. But please, not today. Please start tomorrow."

I was so surprised and so happy that he wanted to support me, that I only slung my arms around his neck and kissed him. Despite our audience, Edward allowed me to deepen the kiss, so when we broke apart, I could only whisper, "Tomorrow."

The word tomorrow brought new hope with it.


	17. Struggle

**A/N: Phew… A bit more than one week of school had passed and what happened? I got a really nasty cold that forced me to stay at home today (and tomorrow). I've gotta say, after six weeks of having no school kidds around and then suddenly being surrounded by more than 600 of them and their germs, it's only natural that my immune system isn't up for fighting against it. Whatever, I used the time given to me by the cold wisely and finished the chapter. Unfortunately I have no idea, when I have time to write the next one, but I'll try to hurry!**

**Oh, and of course many thanks for the reviews you guys have left!**

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**Chapter 16: Struggle**

Sweat was running down my forehead and drenching the back of the top I was wearing, as it was almost streaming down my spine. My fists were balled, all my muscles tensed in exertion. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that this time, I would somehow manage to push my shield out. And I tried to push – what I was pushing, I had no idea, but I tried. But again, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Edward went down, hissing in pain, as Kate zapped him.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to curse. I wanted to rip my hair out. But most of all, I wanted to demand of the Powers That Be why they had given me the gift, if I couldn't use it. I really started to believe that this was just one big cosmic joke, giving me hope and then taking it away again. I knew from tales of Dawn and the other Scoobies, how much the PTB liked to mess with their champions (and apparently, we Slayers were their champions, whether we wanted to be or not), and now that I was one of them, the PTB seemingly liked to poke fun at me, too.

So. Not. Funny.

However, instead of doing all this, I was immediately leaning over Edward. I wanted to make sure that he was alright – even though I knew after having seen all the other times he went down this afternoon that he was okay - and I wanted to comfort him. Still, I should have known Edward, as he began to comfort me. "I'm alright, Bella. It's alright."

"No, it's not alright!" I got up before he could hug me and began to pace. I was too worked up to stand still and I didn't want Edward to comfort me. I didn't deserve it. Not with my being the reason that _he_ had been given electrical shocks and therewith been hurt since we started training. "You get hurt, over and over again. And I just can't stop it, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try! I just can't extend my shield!"

"Bella, love…" Despite my resistance, Edward's arms were suddenly wrapped tightly around me. I closed my eyes again and fought against the tears of desperation and anger that wanted to fall. "Will and I, we've both been witnesses to how you managed to manipulate your shield. _You can do it! _I know it. I believe in you, Bella. You will work this out."

"But I'm trying!" I sighed against his chest. "I'm trying _so_ hard. But it doesn't work. I just can't remember how I did this the other times, if I really did it."

"I can see how hard you're trying to make it work. But maybe, maybe you are trying too hard," Edward mumbled comfortingly. "Maybe you should just try to relax. Don't be so tense."

I didn't say anything. Instead, I just nodded and stepped out of Edward's embrace. I turned to Kate and sat down across from her again. Edward followed me and as soon as he had joined us, I said resolutely, "Let's try this again."

Truly hoping that it would work this time, I took Edward's hand, while Kate took his other, and I tried to push whatever this shield was away from me. But there was nothing tangible, nothing for me to grasp and push, I didn't even know if there was a special way I should imagine this shield. Was it like these old medieval shields the knights used, or was it more like a modern science fictiony force field?

I took a deep breath, trying to concentrate and get my tense muscles to relax. When I thought that I was as concentrated and relaxed as I could get, I nodded at Kate. I knew she would zap him immediately, just as she had done it all the others times, and I braced myself for it, for seeing Edward in pain yet again.

"Hey!" Edward suddenly said cheerfully, and I could make out that there was almost no strain in his voice. "That one barely stung!"

For a moment, I stared at him in disbelief, but then, just as a smile wanted to spread over my face, Kate admitted, "That was a really low shock. I wanted to spare Edward some pain. I'm sorry."

My face fell again, as I once again got up and declared, "I need a break." Edward moved to come with me, but I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Edward. I need to be alone for a moment, to think…"

Even though I wasn't looking at his face, I just knew that it was filled with pain. But he let me go anyway. I could feel his and Kate's eyes on my back, but I went on walking calmly. First when I had disappeared in the trees and was sure that I was out of sight, I allowed my tears to fall. And then, I began to run.

I pushed my legs harder and harder through the thicket of the forest, not caring for the low branches that left scratches on my arms and legs. Just as already days ago, after Willow and Xander had come to visit me, my subconscious was guiding me to the one place that I knew would allow me to think clearly, the one place that would comfort me. The meadow.

Even though the meadow must have been several miles from the field, I reached it much quicker than I had expected. One moment, the forest around me was dark, and in the next, I was standing in the middle of wildflowers.

It was there where I finally allowed myself to crumble, where I allowed all the stress and the fears that had plagued me ever since Alice had had the visions of the Volturi to overwhelm me. Everything I had buried deep inside of me clawed their way out of my soul. With my arms wrapped tightly around me, I allowed the until now silent tears to become violent sobs that wrecked my whole body.

I just let it all out.

When Kate had told me the day before that I could use my shield to protect those around me, I had been so hopeful and so sure that it would work. That I could do it. After all, both Willow and Edward had told me that I had done it before. So it shouldn't have been so hard, should it? And yet, this task proved to be impossible.

I had asked Kate after she had agreed to help me, how she would do it. Then, she had simply told me that she needed to think about it. When I had asked her again this morning, she had ushered me to go train with the other Slayers and said that she needed to talk to Edward about what she had been thinking.

It was once again after lunch that she pulled me away from the other girls and announced that my new training would start and that Edward would help us. I was so glad that he would that at first I hadn't wanted to understand his part in this. I had thought that Edward would help us by telling me, when he could and couldn't hear Kate's thought, because I had assumed that I would try to shield her.

Kate, however, had had other ideas. She had told me in a simple no-nonsense voice that I wouldn't have the same motivation shielding her, as I would have, if I needed to protect Edward. After all, the first time I had actively used my shield to protect another person had been, when I had thought that Edward was in danger. So she expected me to try to shield Edward, while she was shocking him with the electrical current that she could let run over her skin. My protests fell on deaf ears and that's how I had found myself in the situation of having to watch Edward suffer under the electrical shocks she was zapping him with.

It was all so unfair.

Why did everyone around always have to suffer for what I could or couldn't do, for what I was and for what I would be? The Cullens especially – ever since Edward had brought me into their family, actually even before that, when we had first met in Biology on my first day in Forks High School.

Edward had suffered, still suffered, because of the scent of my too delicious blood. The Cullens had suffered, when James and his coven had appeared. And again, when Edward had decided to leave me. And again, when Victoria decided to take her revenge on me. They had always suffered to protect little old me, the plain human Bella.

In just a few short weeks, this should have changed, they wouldn't have needed to put my needs before theirs, because they wouldn't have needed to protect me anymore. But again, this plan had been foiled.

If there wasn't some loophole, I would never become immortal. I would never have my forever with Edward. He would never say it, but I know that it would hurt him seeing me grow old and die. I just couldn't become old and die, because I knew then that Edward would follow me and somehow I also knew that losing us both would destroy the family. This just couldn't happen.

A short, humorless laugh escaped my lips.

Who was I kidding? In a few days' time, I wouldn't have to worry about this anymore. Because the Volturi were coming, they were coming to destroy and to collect. I wouldn't need to worry about my forever with Edward, because it wouldn't happen anyway. We would all die. And it would be my fault. The Volturi were coming because of me, because of what I was. Or, at least, this was the excuse they would use. Maybe they were coming _because_ of me, but they were not coming _for_ me. No, they were coming for Edward and Alice, for their gifts.

I wondered, if they wouldn't have come to us eventually, even if I hadn't been called as a Slayer and would have been changed into a vampire. After all, hadn't Aro also been fascinated by me? Would I have been another desirable acquisition, if my shield had worked as Kate said it should?

I shook my head. I would never know.

The tears were still running down my cheeks and the sobs were still shaking my body.

I wasn't just crying for me, I was especially crying for everyone else who would most likely lose their lives in the coming fight. My family, the Denalis, Jacob and the wolves, the Scoobies and their Slayers. I could have protected them, if I could have expanded my shield to include them.

Deep down, I knew that it was only my first day of training the shield, but there was just so little time left. Aro, Caius, Marcus and their guard would be here in eight days. If there wasn't any progress today, how was I supposed to protect the group in eight days?

Sometimes, when I closed my eyes, I saw them all die. It wasn't a vision, but my fears that showed me how my friends perished one by one, while I was standing on the sidelines, unable to help them.

It was just hopeless…

I had been strong for so long, for so many times. James, Edward leaving me, facing the Volturi, Victoria and the fight against the newborns and now this. I had tried to keep it all together, but now I was just so exhausted. I had no idea, how I would find the strength to go through the next days until the end.

I was just so tired. So tired of everything. Of being afraid, of worrying, of fighting.

I just wanted it all to be over…

I just wanted my happily ever after, my forever, with Edward.

Was that really too much to ask?

Time had lost all meaning, as I was sitting there in the meadow. After some time, the sobs subsided and then, eventually, the tears dried as well. But I still didn't move. I had my knees drawn up, my arms wrapped tightly around them, and my face was resting on my thighs. Looking at nothing. Thinking of nothing. My head was empty, my mind and body exhausted.

I had no idea what time it was, when I felt him. His tingle was by now so familiar that I didn't even need to concentrate on it. Sensing him and knowing that it was him just came to me naturally by now. But still, I didn't turn around, not even when I finally heard his quiet footsteps on the grass, slowly moving towards me.

"Bella?" his worried voice asked, and I could feel that he had knelt down in front of me. "Love, please look at me."

Unable to ignore his plead, I raised my head slightly. The look on Edward's face was as worried as his voice sounded, and it became even more painful to watch this expression on his face, when he took in the dried tears on my cheeks. He sighed deeply and carefully reached forward, cradling my cheek in his hand. The coolness of his palm was almost soothing, and I allowed myself to lean into it for a moment.

"I've been looking for you," he whispered, when I didn't say anything. "We were worried, when you didn't come back."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. What else should I say? Was I supposed to say more?

Edward sighed, as he leaned forward, so that our foreheads touched. I closed my eyes, but they sprung open again, when Edward said, "Don't apologize, love. If there is someone who has to apologize, it's me. I was so blind. If I had seen, that all this was troubling you much more than we had all thought, I would have intervened. But all this time you've been so brave, so unwaveringly strong. And I can't read your mind. I had thought that you had taken everything about being the Slayer in stride and that you were confident about the confrontation with the Volturi. Not even in your sleep have you betrayed any of your worries. So, please, Bella, tell me… how do you really feel? How afraid are you?"

I looked straight at him, right into his golden eyes, as I replied, "Absolutely terrified."

"Oh, Bella…" His strong arms were immediately around me, my face buried in his shirt.

I allowed a few more tears to fall. I had kept my fears from Edward so that he wouldn't worry about me, and apparently I had done a really good job in deceiving him, something which I hadn't thought would be possible. However, somehow, with him knowing how scared I was, I felt somehow lighter, and braver. Brave enough so that I could ask, "We're all going to die, aren't we?"

Edward didn't answer at once, but I was pleasantly surprised that he didn't lie to me to protect me. "Maybe," he said gravely. "But we have a strong army, we have many friends on our side… Slayers, a powerful witch, the wolves and vampires. Maybe the Volturi will stop and listen to us. Maybe they will leave, once you tell them that you're not planning on becoming a vampire."

I didn't have the heart to tell Edward that I didn't think they would do this, but somehow I also knew that he had realized this himself. He was only trying to comfort me, or maybe trying to give both of us some hope. But at least, and I was so proud of him, Edward hadn't lied to me. He hadn't tried to protect me by keeping the truth from me. "I love you," I told him, hoping that I could convey to him on this way how much his sincerity meant to me. Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his and he eagerly responded, at least for a moment, before he pulled back again.

"And I love you," he whispered, still cradling my cheek. "And as much as I'd like to continue this, I think we should go back. Training was almost over, when I left to look for you, and didn't you plan on going to La Push with Dawn today?"

Shoot! I had completely forgotten about this over my pity party. Dawn was counting on me to go with her. Actually, I hoped that this might get my mind off my worries and I was looking forward to seeing Emily again. "Yeah, right… Let's go…"

Edward helped me stand and then took my hand into his. "Ready to run?" he asked with my favorite crooked grin on his face.

"Actually…" I swallowed, not knowing how Edward would take this. "Could you please carry me? Just like in old times?"

His grin brightened considerably at hearing my request and before I could react, he had already swung me around to his back and had begun running. Unlike all the other times, I didn't need to hold onto him fearing for my life and unlike all the other times, I didn't close my eyes. Thanks to being the Slayer, I didn't feel dizzy anymore watching the scenery pass by. Actually, it was fascinating to watch all the greens and browns blend into each other.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Cullens' house. It was much too soon, because after my disappearing act this afternoon, I didn't feel ready yet to face them all. I wished, Edward and I could have spent more time in the meadow together, just some 'us' time, but I had more important duties.

"Hey there," I said, suddenly feeling shy, as I slid off Edward's back in front of my family, the Denalis and the Scoobies. The Slayers who weren't staying at the Cullens' were obviously already back in La Push. "Sorry for splitting, but…" I shrugged, not really wanting to explain to them why I had to leave.

"No need to apologize," Xander said with a comforting and understanding smile on his face. "I think we've all been there. And now that you're back here, how about you, me and Dawn hit the road?"

"You're coming with us?" I asked him surprised.

"Sure," Xander replied with a shrug. "Wanted to see how the girls are living there anyway. So I thought, while you and Dawn hang with the wolf girls, I'm gonna check on the girls."

A few minutes later, Xander, Dawn and I were in Edward's Volvo on the way to La Push. I still hadn't gotten used to the fact that the Cullens had offered free use of their cars to their guests, every car. Even the Aston Martin and Rose's BMW. Seeing as I knew best on how to get to La Push and Sam and Emily's house, I got to drive the Volvo, with Xander in the passenger seat and Dawn in the backseat. And I had to admit – I liked to drive the Volvo. It wasn't my good old truck, but it was much better than the Mercedes. Maybe I should try to talk Edward into exchanging cars.

We didn't talk and I could almost sense the nervousness in Dawn, which grew even more intense, when I stopped the car in front of a wooden house. Emily was already waiting for us on the porch. I got out of the car with a smile on my face and hugged Emily in greeting. Dawn and Xander were right behind me. I was glad that I had already warned them in the car about the scars on Emily's face, so none of them stared at her.

"Ah, you must be Dawn," Emily said, as she hugged her, too. "Welcome to La Push. And you are?"

"I'm Xander Harris," Xander introduced himself and shook Emily's hand.

"Nice to meet you. Sam has told me about you. But now, you have to excuse us. Dawn has got a date with the other wolf girls."

"Wait," Dawn suddenly said, as Emily wanted to usher her inside. "Isn't Bella coming with us?"

I was confused about that as well, but apparently Emily had other ideas. "I'm sorry, Dawn, Bella… Hasn't Sam been clear on this? This conversation we're going to have is just for us wolf girls."

"Oh, I see…" I mumbled, feeling a bit hurt by this. On the other hand, I could understand her. I had no idea what it meant to be imprinted on, so I couldn't be much more than emotional support for Dawn. However, in the end I thought it should be Dawn's decision. "Will you be okay without me?"

She hesitated for a moment, biting on her lower lip, before she eventually nodded resolutely. "I'm gonna be okay. Can I give you a call, when we're done here?"

"Sure… I'll just go with Xander check on the other girls."

I gave Dawn one last encouraging smile, before I went back into the car. When I turned around I saw the worried look that flashed over Xander's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. He only gave Dawn a thumbs-up, before he got into seat next to mine.

"She's gonna be okay," I told him.

He smiled at me. "I know… She's become a big girl, no, she's become a strong woman. And I know she'll do the right thing."

We spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence and only spoke, when we were visiting the girls. There were only a few families on the reservation that were in on the truth about vampires, werewolves and now Slayers and they had kindly agreed to give the Slayers who didn't want to stay with the Cullens (which was just seven Slayers) a place to stay. While most of their houses were small, the girls all felt very comfy and well cared for, and this was what Xander had wanted to see.

Once we were done, about one hour later, Dawn still hadn't called. It was still light outside, so I took Xander to First Beach, where we decided to take a walk until Dawn was done with her _wolf girl meeting_ (Xander's words, not mine).

We still spent the first few minutes of our walk in the same comfortable silence as in the car. I didn't try to think of it, but in the end, my mind again wandered to my failure and breakdown this afternoon.

Almost as if reading my thoughts, Xander suddenly said, "Hey, don't beat yourself up on your shield-not-wanting-to-work-thing."

"How did you know I was thinking about that?" I asked surprised. "I mean, no one can read my thoughts, not Edward, not Aro and not even Willow."

Xander chuckled, before he explained, "Some time ago, Dawn told me that it was my power to see things others don't. And also that evil guy who destroyed my eye told me that I'm the one who sees. And I guess they're right. I'm pretty good at seeing how people are feeling and what they are thinking. And your feelings are very easy to read. I've even been noticing for some time now that you were hiding your worries and fears from Edward and the other Cullens."

"You're good," I complimented him, still astonished, and then sighed. "But I can't help but feel that I'm letting them down."

"Then let me tell you that you're the only one feeling this. Sure, we've all been excited about the prospect of a shield protecting us from the vultures' mind attacks, but we also know that you're still new to this and we didn't expect any miracles. However, you apparently, do."

"How could I not?" I whispered. "Everything else has been so easy. Getting used to the strength, learning to fight, working with my senses… and then this…"

"Maybe," Xander said slowly, "that's because you're shield is not a Slayer thing. It's a you-thing that's only enhanced when you become stronger. And the strongest you can get is to become an Old One – so chances are that your shield would have only worked then. Maybe being _just_ a Slayer isn't enough to manipulate this shield."

"Maybe you're right," I conceded reluctantly. "Or maybe, maybe I just need a stronger motivation. I mean, I thought I couldn't take it that Edward would be in pain, but apparently that's not enough. But what is enough? Does someone have to be in danger of dying?" I shuddered inwardly. I couldn't even think about it. Hurting someone was already bad enough, but endangering someone like this, just to learn to control my shield, no… I just couldn't do that.

For a moment, Xander had a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes completely serious, and I wondered what he was thinking about. I felt a cold, unpleasant shiver run down my spine, my subconscious telling me that whatever it was that was going through Xander's head, I wouldn't like it.

However, before I could question him about it, he said, "Bella, there is one thing you have to remember: As long as you fight, there's hope. The moment you give up, they've won. Never give up, Bella. We never did. There were losses, of course. We've lost friends and family to the good fight, and sometimes we thought we would all surely die, but as long we kept fighting, as long as we trusted that we were doing the right thing, we had a chance to win. This time is no difference. So, trust us, trust your family and most of all, trust your own abilities, because even if you don't get your shield to work, don't forget that you're still a very powerful young woman, a Slayer."

Feeling tears well up in my eyes, I quickly blinked them away. It wasn't that I was ashamed of crying in front of Xander – as a matter of fact, I believed that he would be the big brother type that took you into his arms and comforted you without pressuring you into admitting what was wrong – but that I had already cried enough that die. I didn't want to cry anymore. I wanted to be strong.

"I won't… Thanks, Xander…"

"You're welcome, Bella." Suddenly, the serious look on his face was gone, replaced by a mischievous one. "Hey, what I wanted to ask you… Is it true that Kate and Tanya used to seduce human men?"

Stopping dead in my tracks, I turned to face Xander, but the only thing I could say was a stupid, "Huh?"

He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well… Ya know… A man can't help but notice that they're really stunning women and Emmett might have said something about that to me. It was really interesting, I mean, not that I'm interested, because I've so sworn off non-human women and…" I couldn't help it, I started to laugh. "What? Oh, I see… Dawn's already told you about my misadventures with women…"

"Sorry," I laughed, trying to get myself back under control. "Dawn hasn't said much. Just that demonic women seemed to like you more than normal women."

Xander was grinning, too, so I didn't feel too bad about laughing at him, or rather at this situation. Maybe I should talk to Kate and Tanya about Xander – who knows, they might be interested?

"Let's see…" Xander raised his balled fist and then raised his thumb. "One. Shortly after Buffy arrived in good old SunnyD, our substitute biology teacher Miss French, who was actually a giant praying mantis, tried to seduce me to fertilize her eggs. And to kill me afterwards, of course. Two," another finger went up, "about one year later, there was the Inca Mummy Girl who fell for me. Unfortunately she had to suck out people's life force to survive. Three," a third finger went up, "Cordelia. Okay, she was still human back then, but I've heard that she has recently become part-demon. Four," a fourth finger joined the others, "Anya…"

I could clearly hear the sadness in his voice, when he mentioned her name, and I put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. "Dawn told me about her. You don't need to say anything."

"I'm okay…" Xander took a deep breath. "And at last, number five. A demon disguised as a stunningly pretty girl, who just needed my blood to open the Hellmouth. There, I hope I haven't forgotten anyone."

Hoping to lighten the mood, I chuckled, "At least Leah didn't imprint on you."

I expected him to laugh along with me, but he just shook his head sadly. "She tried, you know. On our day off? I was in town with some of the girls, just hanging, eating ice-cream, when she suddenly walked up to me, all determined. She was staring at me, it was so intense, but then she suddenly just cursed and turned on her heel. I went after her and then, we talked. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone what we talked about, but let's just say that she had hoped to imprint on me and that it hadn't worked. Somehow, I wished it had, just stop her misery."

"Oh…" That was the only thing I could say. What else was there to say?

We stayed on the beach for about one more hour until Dawn called. She was thoughtful, when we picked her up, and she didn't say anything about the conversation with Emily and the other imprinted girls. But there was a peace in her eyes that hadn't been there before and I couldn't help but hope that everything between her and Jake would work out.

When Xander dropped me off at Charlie's house, I could feel a smile tug at my lips. Edward's tingle was up there, in my room. Waiting for me. Bidding Xander and Dawn a good night, I hurried inside. I felt bad that I had left Charlie alone again this evening, so, with a sigh I decided to let Edward wait a few more minutes, which I would use to spend some quality time with Charlie – watching sports, most likely.

"Bells, is that you?"

"Yeah, dad," I called, as I closed the door behind me. "It's me." I took off my shoes and then walked on into the living room, where Charlie was – big surprise – watching just another sports show. "What's up?"

"Not much," he replied with a grin. "But your mom called. She has finally booked the flight for the wedding."

"Finally," I sighed, relieved. Renée had been taking her sweet time finding a flight. Especially after she had complained that I hadn't told her about the wedding sooner, when the flights had still been cheaper. "When will she come?"

"On the ninth, at nine thirty-five pm."

I froze, as I heard the date. No. No, no, no, no, no… This couldn't be. Not on the ninth. Not on the day that the Volturi arrived! Their plane landed in Seattle while we were most likely fighting, after sunset.

I barely registered that Charlie had said something, until he called my name a bit louder. "Bells, did you hear what I just said?"

"Huh? No, sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked, if Carlisle can still pick them up at the airport."

"Uh, actually…" Think, Bella! Think! Carlisle would be in the middle of a battle field. He wouldn't have time to pick them up. But that's not something I could tell Charlie. Then, an idea hit me, and I hoped that Charlie would believe me. "Carlisle can't… He's on a medical conference in LA on the ninth and tenth. And Esme's going with him. Oh! But why don't you pick them up, dad? I mean, you don't have to work the week before the wedding, so it would be perfect. You could even spend the night in Seattle, if you don't want to drive back at night. I mean, it will be awfully late once they got their luggage and can leave."

I crossed my fingers, watching Charlie as he considered my suggestion. I really hoped he would agree to it, because I had to admit that this was one of my more brilliant ideas, especially considering how spontaneous it was. But it was _the_ idea to get Charlie out of town and to keep Renée and Phil away from Forks during our confrontation with the Volturi. I would really feel a lot better, if they were all far far away from Forks.

"That… sounds reasonable… I'll think about it and tell you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay, dad…" I stretched and yawned – I didn't even have to pretend that this day had me beat. "Sorry dad, but I'm dead tired. I'm gonna head upstairs."

"Goodnight, Bells."

"Night, dad…"

Being careful not to display my sudden gracefulness in front of Charlie, I pretended to stumble on the first step of the stairs, before I hurried up the rest of the steps and right into Edward's waiting arms.

"Are you feeling better, love?" he asked, the worry once again visible in his eyes.

"Yes, I am," I told him truthfully. "I just… freaked this afternoon. But I'm ready for another round tomorrow. I mean, I'm still scared, so scared that I feel as if I were petrified sometimes, but I have to train. I have to fight. If we don't, we've lost."

And that was true. I still feared that we would all die, I still feared that nothing we could put forth would be enough to defeat or even stop the Volturi, but after talking to Xander, I also knew that we would lose everything for sure, if we didn't fight. The least we could do was to take some of them down with us and show the world that the Volturi were not as almighty as they thought they were.

It was on this day that I decided that I would never give up, no matter what happened.


	18. London

**A/N: My fall break is almost over and I did manage to write one chapter! Yay me! And it's again an extra long chapter for you, so please enjoy it. Oh, and I'm looking especially forward to writing the next chapter, because that will be one of the chapters I've been waiting ages to put to paper!**

**And now, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: London**

"No way!" I yelled, actually stomping my foot. My arms were crossed in front of my chest, as I was glaring at Kate, Edward and Xander. It was the day after my breakdown in the meadow and the other Slayers and most of the Cullens had already left for the field. Only I was left at the Cullens' house with Kate, Xander, Edward and Carlisle. The reason for my anger was the fact that Kate and Xander had just presented me with a new way to train my shield, seeing as torturing Edward hadn't worked at all to improve my motivation. "I can't believe you agreed to this, Kate! And of all the stupid ideas, Xander, you just had to come up with the stupidest of all!"

"Bella…" Edward tried to calm me, putting his hand on my shoulders and forcing me to look into his eyes. "It will be safe. I promise."

"Safe my ass," I cursed – for a split second I was surprised at my choice of words, seeing as I didn't use to swear, much. "You always tell me that I have no sense of self-preservation. Then why don't you tell Xander the same? Because accordingly to what you've just told me now, he has no sense of self-preservation at all."

"Nothing will happen, Bella," Xander tried to assure me. "Carlisle will be with us the entire time."

"Not even Carlisle will be able to help you, when you've burned to a crisp," I retorted. "Maybe you should google people, who've been struck by lightning. I'm sure they don't look pretty."

However, despite my protests, Xander and Kate appeared to be unwavering in their decision. And if I wanted to train my shield, I probably had no other choice than to go with it. I hated it, I really did. But what was I supposed to do? I knew that I couldn't do it on my own, not without a good motivator, a danger that activated the shield. I couldn't just wait for a freak accident to happen or for the Volturi to arrive and hope that I'll get lucky to get my shield to work then.

Turning to the last person, of whom I hoped that he could sway them, I nearly begged, "Carlisle, please… say something…"

He cleared his throat and I could clearly see that he was just as uncomfortable with the decision as I was, and yet something was different in him. There was a regretful glint in his eyes which told me that I wouldn't like what he would say now. "I'm sorry, Bella. But if you really want to be able to control your shield, I simply see no other way. But as Xander has already said, I will be there every step along the way and we'll start small. Kate can control the strength of her shocks. There will be no lasting damage to Xander, but we hope that your fear for something worse to happen will trigger the shield."

Once again I gazed helplessly around, but eventually I only sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright…" I agreed reluctantly. "Let's get this over with… But," I said pointedly to Xander, "don't hold me responsible, when you die!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he grinned and then rubbed his hands eagerly – I really couldn't understand his enthusiasm. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started."

They seemed to have talked about how they would do it, once I agreed to this, because as soon as Xander had uttered those words, he walked over to the couch, where he laid down. His hands were shaking slightly, which meant that he was a bit nervous, if not even scared, of what was about to happen. I wasn't sure how to feel about this. I wanted to be angry with him, but when I looked into his eyes, I could understand why he was doing this. He was doing it for the same reason why I was doing this. Because we had to.

"Bella, love?" Edward was looking down at me with worried eyes. "Are you ready?"

Carlisle and Kate were already kneeling next to Xander, only Edward was still at my side. But all of them were looking at me expectantly. They were waiting for me. Instead of answering, I only nodded at Edward and took his hand and together we joined the others at the couch. "What do you want me to do?" I asked Kate.

"Today we will start small. I will zap his hand," she explained to me, as she put her finger on Xander's right hand. He followed her hand's movement with wary eyes, but nothing happened, as she touched him. Or better, nothing had happened, yet. "What I would like you to do is to touch the same hand and try to put a shield around it, so that my power won't get through. Do you understand?"

I only nodded again, as I knelt down next to her. I could still feel Edward right behind me, supporting me, and I tried to draw strength from him, as I placed my hand next to Kate's finger on Xander's hand. I took a deep breath, before I announced, "I'm ready."

"Okay…" Kate mumbled. "Now concentrate, Bella. I'm going to shock him in five, four, three, two, one…"

While Kate was quietly counting down, I once again tried to push whatever this shield was outside. Nothing seemed to budge, so gritting my teeth, I tried harder. Still, there was nothing to grasp, nothing to push, and when Kate reached zero, I just couldn't watch.

Xander gasped, though it was through clenched teeth, and under my hand I could feel him stiffen, before it slackened again. He was wheezing, groaning in pain and I hated it. I hated that I couldn't stop it.

"Xander, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Carlisle," Xander answered, still breathless. "But please tell me, how's the hair looking?"

This weird question caused me to open my eyes again and there was obvious concern in Xander's eyes. Suddenly, Edward snickered behind me and I turned to face him. "What's going on?" I wanted to know. This situation wasn't funny! Xander, a normal human, had been hurt by the electrical shocks of a vampire! He could have died! And who knew what this shock had done to his heart? As if to prove my fear for his heart, I saw out of the corner of my eyes how Carlisle checked Xander's pulse.

"Xander's afraid that his hair might look like Vegeta's from Dragonball Z," Edward informed me. However, when I just looked at him blankly – honestly, what was Edward talking about? – he explained, "Vegeta's a fictional character from a Japanese manga. And his hair stands up straight."

"You know Dragonball?" Xander asked surprised. His pain was apparently already forgotten, until he moved and winced. I winced along with him, but I was also curious. My fiancé had never seemed to be a person interested in Japanese pop culture.

Edward only shrugged with my favorite crooked grin on his face. "Emmett was nearly obsessed with the manga and later the anime in the eighties and nineties. He only read and watched it in Japanese, of course, because, if I may quote him: 'The dubbing sucks.'"

Shaking my head, I tried to turn the conversation back to my failed attempt at protecting Xander and how much it had hurt him. "We have to stop this. Xander is in pain. Making jokes about this doesn't help us at all."

"I'm good…" Xander said weakly, taking my hand into his and squeezing it. "It's okay. I've been worse, a lot worse. Really. And you need to do this, Bella. You need to train your shield and I know that you can do it. Come on, let's try this again. Just one more time?"

What could I do, when Xander was looking at me like that? He had apparently perfected the puppy-dog eyes long ago, so it was almost impossible to say no. Still, I would have done so, if it hadn't been for Edward's reassuring touch on my back and his look that told me how much he believed in me. Still, I wasn't exactly happy about it. "Okay, one more time. One _last_ time."

"That's my girl!" Xander exclaimed, but immediately winced again.

Seeing him like this, acting all brave despite the obvious pain he was in, made me angry. Angry at myself, angry at the world around me that forced this on us, at the Powers That Be that loved to play with us. It was an all-consuming anger, but not one that made me weak – it wasn't despair like the day before -, no, this anger was making me feel stronger. It seemed to have awoken something inside of me, something strong, wild and primal. I tried to hold onto that feeling, hoping against hope that it would help me.

I was still holding Xander's hand, as Kate put her finger on it again. She gave me a questioning look and I nodded, so she began her countdown again.

I was prepared not to feel anything, but somehow, this time, I felt something. There was some kind of resistance. It was really there, around my hand, almost one with my skin, and it was hard to describe. But if I had to, I would say that it felt like a rubber band. A really stubborn rubber band. Or maybe a bubble. Still, when I concentrated really hard and used the strength this primal force in me gave me, I managed to push this flexible –but-stubborn thing away. Only how far, I couldn't tell.

I had been so lost in thoughts that I first realized that Kate had stopped counting, when Edward asked, "Kate?"

She grinned widely. "I'm trying to shock him. Do you feel anything, Xander?"

Xander looked just as delighted, as he announced, "Not a thing! Ouch!"

My concentration had been lost the moment Xander had uttered the first three words and it almost hurt, when I felt the elastic bubble snap back. However, it didn't seem to just hurt me, when Xander's quiet outcry was any indication. I immediately looked to Kate, who grinned sheepishly at both Xander and me. "Oops…"

"Oops?" I asked, the anger once again welling up in me. "Oops?"

"Hey, Bells," Xander tried to calm me, as he carefully sat up. "It was a really low shock and it was an accident. I'm gonna survive. But, hey! You did it!"

Completely stunned, I immediately forgot my anger and looked from Xander, to Kate and then, at last, to Edward, who was smiling brightly. His eyes were sparkling with pride and slowly, but surely, his infectious smile also appeared on my face, as a huge weight was lifted from my shoulder. "I did it!" I cried and threw my arms around Edward's neck to hug him tightly.

"Yes, you did… I'm so proud of you, my love."

Edward's whispered words caused a warm feeling to spread through me. Relief, new hope and of course his love made me feel lighter than I had in the past twenty-four hours, or maybe even longer.

I could do it. I could really control my shield!

"Hey, let's party!" Xander suddenly announced and I laughed, letting go of Edward and smothering Xander instead in a nearly bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you," I could only mumble. "I couldn't have done this without your help."

Xander laughed along with me, but after a short moment he began to complain about the lack of air, so I finally let go off him again with a sheepish grin on my face. Sometimes I still forgot that I wasn't as weak as I used to be.

"How does it feel like?" Kate asked, her voice curious. I shrugged and described the feeling of the rubber band/bubble as best as I could. It really was difficult to explain something that I could only feel, to find the right words for it, but my family seemed to get the gist of how this shield seemed to work.

Carlisle appeared to be thoughtful for a moment after my explanation, but then he asked, "Can you still feel the shield?"

Much to my surprise, I didn't even have to concentrate to know that it was there. Apparently, now that I had consciously used my shield, it was ready to be used that way again. The only question was, how easy would it be to use it again? "Yes, I can still feel it. And I think that I can use it again, if I want to. Maybe I should always practice a bit, when I have time. After all, I don't think I need a strong motivator anymore to find the shield, now that I know how it works."

Kate nodded and said, "Practicing is very important. At first, I could only shock people with my hands, but now, after years of practicing, I can let the current run over my whole body."

I tried not to be disheartened by Kate's use of the word 'years', because years were something we didn't have. One week, that's the time I had to train my shield as much as possible. One week was all we had left.

From that moment on, my training alternated between hand-to-hand combat, working with the Scythe and other weapons, and practicing to work with my shield. Thankfully no one needed to be hurt anymore and simply anyone could help me, as long as Edward was also part of the training. Dawn was often an active participant in my training, as I tried to stretch and expand my shield as much as possible.

Even at home, or when I wasn't doing anything else, I practiced to push the shield outward, to get it away from my skin, and it was getting just the tiniest bit easier with each time. Kate had been right, but it was such a slow process. Still, just as a muscle would get stronger during training, my shield was getting easier to bend.

However, I usually could it feel crawl along, slowly, almost painfully, so when Edward, three days after I had discovered how the shield worked, suddenly announced that he couldn't hear Dawn's thoughts anymore, I knew I had managed to cover Dawn completely. I had tried it again a short time later with Emmett – seeing as he was much bigger than Dawn - and again I managed to do it successfully.

But not all was good – there were still several things that made using the shield in battle quite difficult.

For one, I apparently could only expand the bubble – in the meantime I had decided that the shield was more like a bubble than a rubber band – to cover other people, when I was touching them. So it was actually useless in a battle, where we were moving around a lot.

The second thing was that, until now, I had only managed to cover one person. This could protect this person from Jane, but Alec's power was different – he could incapacitate all of us at once.

The third thing was that the process of covering someone was very slow. Before I had managed to expand my bubble far enough, it would very likely be too late.

The fourth thing was that I mostly couldn't do anything else while I was working with the shield. I just needed to concentrate too hard.

And the fifth and last thing was that the whole process was incredibly draining. Most of the times I needed a breather after I had expanded the shield.

However, I kept looking forward and tried to tell myself that my shield could still be used. For example, if Alec used his power on us, I could draw the shield around Faith or another Slayer and together we could try to take him down – of course, I couldn't let go of the other Slayer.

And then, I kept reminding myself of the fact that it wasn't just us Cullens against the Volturi and their demons. We had many allies – the Slayers for one, a very powerful witch, our friends from Denali and of course the wolves.

The wolves proved to become our biggest advantage, and possible secret weapon, which I realized on the evening of August the fifth, when Jake pulled me aside before he and his wolf-brothers returned to La Push.

"Dawn told me that you got your shield to cover her and Emmett this morning," he told me without beating around the bush. Ever since Dawn had decided to give Jake a chance – at least as a friend – my best friend looked a lot happier. This and he had stopped calling my family 'bloodsuckers', 'leeches' or other words that I didn't approve of, and instead called them by their names. This had been weird at first, but I was quickly and happily getting used to it. "That's fantastic!"

"Thanks, Jake…" I mumbled, a bit embarrassed by his praise. "But it was only one person at a time. Covering two at the same time is too much."

"But you covered a whole person, and Emmett on top of that! That's gotta count for something."

"He's still not as big as you are in your wolf-form," I said a bit discouraged. This morning I had thought that I had covered the biggest person I knew, but I was wrong.

However, Jake only laughed and looked at me with a challenging look on his face, before he ran to the nearest bush. My eyes followed him, as he disappeared, wondering what he was doing, but when he suddenly appeared again as wolf, I got a vague idea.

"You want me to try to cover you? You're as big as a horse, if you haven't forgotten that!"

The others Quileutes who had been there for training today were still transformed and they looked curiously at us. Of course they had already heard what Jake was planning in his head. Jake slowly walked up to where I was standing and just a split second later, I could feel Edward's cold hand in mine.

"You can do it, I'm sure of it, Bella," he whispered in my ear, which sent goose bumps down my spine.

Taking a deep breath, I let go off Edward's hand and crossed the remaining distance until both my hands were buried in Jake's soft fur. He was so warm and at this moment reminded me very much of a huge plush animal. I chuckled quietly, but shook my head at Jake's curious glance over his shoulder.

"Let's do this…" I mumbled and closed my eyes. I could feel the bubble at my fingertips and, drawing on the primal strength within me, pushed it outside. With each time I did it, the shield appeared to move a bit quicker, but it was still much too slow for my taste, it took much too long until I finally managed to cover Jake's whole gigantic form.

I released a deep breath, once I had willed the bubble to stop expanding, but it almost snapped back into place, when I heard Edward's gasp. It took all my concentration to keep the shield where it was, but then I suddenly noticed something. I had realized before that, whenever I covered someone, I could somehow feel them under my shield. I couldn't explain it, if someone asked me to, but I just knew that they were there, under my shield.

However, this time something was different. Jake was there, of course, I could feel him under my shield, like a warm glow. But he wasn't alone. There were more glows, more… I wished I could put a name on what it was I was feeling.

And then, a split second later, I realized it. It was the other wolves. I whirled around to face Edward, one hand still grasping Jake's fur. "Can you hear them?"

"No, not a single one of them."

By now we had gathered quite an audience of curious onlookers. My eyes searched for one more person who could prove my and obviously also Edward's theory. I was happy, when I finally found her among all the girls. "Kate, could you please go over to Seth and shock him… not much, just a little shock. And please, hurry."

I could already feel the strain of the shield, as it tried to crawl back, but I wouldn't let it. My stubbornness was stronger than the shield's will and it remained where it was, for now. Kate followed my advice and hurried over to Seth. She put a hand on his fur, but nothing happened. Her face showed surprise, but then her eyes widened in realization.

Just as she pulled her hand back, I couldn't hold the shield any longer and it snapped back into place around my body, once again my second skin. I fell to my knees, completely drained and Edward was by my side immediately, pulling me into his lap. "Are you alright, my love?"

His worried voice brought a small smile to my face – here we had just made a huge and helpful discovery, and he was once again only concerned about me. "I'll be fine… Just give me… a moment to… catch my breath."

I could feel everyone's eyes on us, as they were waiting for an explanation. I wanted to give to them, just so that they would stop staring, but I was still too out of breath to do it. I couldn't have been more grateful, when Carlisle stepped forward and addressed Edward.

"Son, what's just happened?"

Despite his worries, Edward's smile was brilliant, as he explained, "When Bella covered Jacob in her shield, something happened. Suddenly, from one second to another, I couldn't hear the wolves' thoughts anymore."

"Incredible," Carlisle breathed. "By protecting one wolf with her shield, the other wolves were protected as well."

Edward nodded. "I believe it is because of their unique connection with each other."

I hadn't even realized that Jake had disappeared again, until he was standing next to Edward and me, again human. Sam had phased as well and was walking up to us. They were talking to Edward and Carlisle, but I had begun feel a bit dizzy, so I tuned them out, concentrating on my breathing instead. After all, I knew what they were explaining – when I protected one wolf, no other wolf could be harmed by the Volturi's powers.

So, I was very surprised – though in hindsight I knew I shouldn't have been – when one sentence suddenly made it through my dizzy haze.

"So Bella only has to stay back with one of the younger wolves and Alec and Jane won't be able to incapacitate the other Quileutes with their powers."

"What?" I turned around in Edward's arms, not wanting to believe what he had just suggested. "You've got to be kidding me! I'm not staying behind, not again!"

"Good plan," Jake agreed.

I scowled at him. "Not you, too! I. Am. Not. Staying. Behind. Again."

Carlisle cleared his throat and he looked at me apologetically, as he said, "Actually, this seems like a rather sensible idea, Bella. With the Quileutes not having to worry about the Volturi's powers, we might have an advantage in this situation."

Of course, when Carlisle explained it like that, it sounded like a good idea, but I was still having none of it. "It is a good idea, in theory. But in case you haven't seen it, I was barely able to hold onto the shield for two minutes a moment ago, and right now I'm so tired that I only want to go to sleep. I won't be of any help, and if at all, then just for a short moment. There's no way that I'll become good enough to keep the shield up for more than a few minutes in time for the battle. I would be of much more help on the field, fighting."

"Bella," Edward's quiet voice tried to calm me. Honestly, I didn't know if it had a calming effect or if it was just making me angrier. "Please, at least consider it."

"No," I only repeated it again. "It won't work. I mean, I could try it, if it really becomes necessary… But I want to be out there, Edward. I'm a Slayer. I want to fight. I have to."

Edward frowned deeply, shaking his head, but he dropped the subject, for now. Somehow I knew that Edward wouldn't give up that easily, but he could see that I wouldn't budge on this matter at the moment. It was also more than obvious that I was exhausted and I just wanted to go home.

I didn't know if Edward read my mind at this moment or not, but I was so relieved, when he scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the car, announcing that he would bring me to Charlie's so that I could rest.

When I awoke the next morning, I immediately noticed three things. One, Edward wasn't there. Two, I was completely rested. And three, a look at my alarm clock told me that it was already eleven o'clock in the morning. Usually, I would be long up and training, but something was wrong today. I found the explanation for at least one of the things on my nightstand next to the alarm clock – a note from Edward.

I quickly sat up and grabbed the note, smiling immediately when I saw his neat handwriting.

_My love,_

_Alice called all of us together for a much-needed hunting trip, but I won't be far from home. Call me, when you need me, and I'll be there at once. _

_Love, Edward_

With a sigh, I got up and put the notes into the drawer to all the other notes I had ever received from Edward. Of course, I usually wanted him to wake me, when he got called away in the middle of the night, but I had been so tired last night, so maybe he had tried to wake me and hadn't succeeded or he hadn't wanted to wake me. Both were possibilities with Edward, though I didn't know which one I'd prefer.

Well, Edward was gone, but this still didn't explain why I could sleep in. Alright, maybe the Scoobies just thought that I needed the rest – and they would have been right – but now I was more than ready to resume training. So I took my cell phone and quickly wrote a text message to Dawn, telling her that I would only take a shower and grab a bite to eat and then I'd come to the field.

I was surprised, when just half a minute later – I was still looking for clean clothes to wear – my cell phone beeped with Dawn's reply. '_No need to hurry. We'll get ya this afternoon. D.'_

Shaking my head, I typed _'No training today?'._

This time I was waiting for Dawn's reply, which wasn't very forthcoming and only confused me further. _'Something special planned for today. Big surprise. You'll see.'_

I didn't think that Dawn expected another text from me, so I only sighed again and went into the bathroom for my human half-hour. Freshly showered, I poured myself a bowl of cereal and settled on the couch with the bowl in one hand and a book in the other hand. With everything that had happened in the past few weeks, I couldn't even remember when I'd had time to just laze around on the couch with a book. Actually, I couldn't remember when I'd had read a book the last time.

So, even though I was a bit anxious about what would happen this afternoon – Dawn hadn't even told me, when she would get me – I tried to enjoy this unexpected freedom as much as possible. Although I had to admit that I was feeling a bit lonely without Edward. Really, would I ever get used to spending time without him?

Still, time passed, and before I knew it, it was time to make lunch for Charlie. I hadn't done that in a long time and I was really beginning to feel guilty. When he came home from his morning shift, he was actually surprised to see me, which made me feel even guiltier. After all, the only times when he had seen me had been in the evenings, when I tried to spend some quality time with him.

We enjoyed a quiet meal together, during which he informed that he had decided to go to Seattle to get Renée and Phil from the airport, and even to spend the night in the hotel that Carlisle had arranged for them. I truly hoped that Charlie hadn't sensed the incredible relief I had been feeling at that very moment, but if he had, he hadn't said anything. Fortunately. It was getting more and more difficult to lie my way through the whole Slayer-business.

Just as we were finished with our lunch at about half past one, there was a knock at the door and Dawn let herself in before I could get the door. "Hello Bella, Charlie!" she greeted us cheerfully. As a matter of fact, she was nearly bouncing as much as Alice usually did, and there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Hello Dawn," Charlie greeted her with a smile on his face. He had really come to like Dawn since she had spent the night here. "You're on time."

"On time?" I asked, clearly confused. Was I the only one out of the loop? "What's going on?"

"Well," Charlie said, the smile slowly transforming into a grin, "Dawn called me earlier today at the station and informed me that she was going to kidnap you this afternoon."

My eyes wandered back and forth between the two conspirators, waiting for an explanation, which Dawn was ready to give after I had given her three looks, which became more confused and scowly with each time my eyes moved.

"The other girls and I, we have a special afternoon and night planned for you, Bella," she told me and winked at me.

My eyes widened ever so slightly, as I understood her implications. At least, I hoped I understood it correctly that they were taking me out for some Slayer business and not, as she had probably sold the story to Charlie, for a bachelorette party. However, I knew I had to play the part and under normal circumstances, I would never agree to go with them, if our destination was a party.

"What are you planning?" I asked her, hoping to keep just the right amount of suspicion in my voice.

Shrugging, Dawn replied, "Ah, you know… just some hanging out with the girls, something a girl in your situation should do. And we don't take no as an answer. If you resist, I'll just call the girls and they will drag you out kicking and screaming, if they have to."

I threw one helpless look to Charlie, but he just grinned and ushered me outside. "Go ahead, Bella. After all this planning, you deserve a night out. Have fun."

Dawn had already taken my jacket, and with Charlie backing her up, I had no other choice but to follow her. Outside, leaning against Carlisle's Mercedes, were Willow, Rona and Vi, waiting for us. We all got into the car without another word, and as soon as Willow had started driving, she turned to Dawn with a grin.

"Did Charlie buy the story?"

"Yeah," Dawn said eagerly. "He thinks Bella is on her way to a bachelorette party."

"And where are we going? What have you really planned?" I wanted to know, no longer able to keep my curiosity at bay.

"We're gonna take you out," Vi informed me. "Slaying."

Instead of satisfying my curiosity, this information only got it to become stronger. But at the same time, I was also getting excited. This would be the first time since I had fought those vampires in Port Angeles that I would go out, slaying. Actually hunting vampires. No training, no sparring, real fighting. "Uhm, in case you haven't noticed, but it's broad daylight, so I don't think we're going to meet any vampires."

"And that's," Willow told me, "why we're going to London. It's half past nine at night over there, so I guess we're going to meet some vamps over there."

"London?" I repeated stupidly. It was still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Dawn could open portals that would bring us to the other side of the world in an instant, even though I had seen it happen plenty of times by now. But maybe I would finally get used to it, when I used this mode of transportation myself.

Four grinning faces were turned towards me, as Dawn sang, "There's no place like London…"

I was in the building of the New Watcher's Council, in London, which was on the other side of the world. Only a minute ago, I had been in the Cullens' house, in Forks, Washington, USA, and now I was here. There was a window to my right and I could see the setting sun. It was amazing. And unbelievable. Once again I wondered, if I would ever get completely used to all the supernatural parts of this world.

"Stop staring out of the window," Faith interrupted my thoughts. "We're here to get some slaying done and we still need to get the weapons for the girls and go to the debriefing."

Five more Slayers in addition to Faith, Vi, Rona and me had come with us to London, all of them itching for a good fight with the evil vamps, as they had dubbed them. Dawn had come as well, of course, as had Willow, to check on some things at the Council, while Xander and Giles remained in Forks to oversee the training of the Slayers that had stayed there.

However, I didn't need another weapon, at least I thought I didn't, seeing as I was already holding the Scythe in my hands, careful not to hurt anyone with it. But Faith had other ideas and so we followed her through the mazes of corridors in the building to the weaponry.

While we were walking Dawn explained that this building was actually the Watchers' Academy in London and that they were lucky that this building had survived. Apparently, the First had only wanted to destroy the highest ranking Council members, so the couple of Watchers in training who had stayed in the dorms of the Academy had survived. The New Council now used this building as Headquarters, using the training rooms, the dorms and everything else this building had to offer.

"For now, it's enough," Dawn said. "But Giles is already looking for another building that we could use."

We had just rounded two more corners, when I noticed a corridor to my right, where one girl was sitting right next to a door. "What's this?"

Dawn frowned. "Here are we rooms that we now use as holding cells. Of course, at the moment, only one room is occupied…"

I looked again towards the door and could only think of one person who could be in that room. I scowled, hoping that I would get the chance to visit this room before I had to go back to Forks again.

After we had gotten our weapons – Faith handed me some stakes in addition to the Scythe – we went to a room that was near the weaponry. On one wall was a huge screen and I saw that five unknown Slayers were already sitting on the chairs at the large oval table in the middle of the room. I sat down between Faith and Dawn, just as another young woman that I had never seen before entered the room and strode to the desk that was standing in front of the screen. She looked like she was in charge here, which caused me to give Dawn a confused look.

"This is Kennedy," Dawn said apologetically and shrugged her shoulders. "Willow's ex-girlfriend. Promise me that you won't let anything she says to you get you down… She has a… certain way with words. But she's in charge of this operation, so…"

I only nodded, having already heard a lot about Kennedy from the other Slayers. So I also knew of course that she hadn't always been nice to the Slayers – or back then Potentials – and that she was of a very bossy nature. And the others had naturally also told me that she and Willow had been together for a couple of months and that it hadn't worked out in the end.

Kennedy just cast a quick glance around the room, before she pressed a button on the notebook on the desk and a map of London appeared on the screen. And then she began talking, fast, her voice completely serious and conveying clearly that she was the boss – somehow, I already didn't like her. It was my biggest wish that I could tune her out, but seeing as what she was telling us was kind of important for this night, I tried to listen as well as possible.

While she was talking, however, I felt my excitement rise even further, especially when she told us that we weren't only going to deal with a few vampires, but with a whole nest of them that a couple of Slayers had discovered the other night. And that wasn't all – apparently there had also been sightings of a few demons, but after some Watchers had identified those demons, I was more than happy to hear that it would only be a cut-off-the-head-and-the-demon's-dead deal.

We were going to be fifteen Slayers at all that were going in and Dawn was going to bring us more or less directly to the front door of the abandoned factory – Dawn only mumbled, "Why is it always factories?" – for our surprise attack. According to Kennedy's last words, the vamps and demons wouldn't know what would hit them. Well, these weren't her last words, but I tried to forget her true last words.

"And don't mess up, maggots!"

Now my excitement was slowly morphing into nervousness and I felt my hands getting sweaty. Time appeared to move at fast forward and suddenly I had walked through the portal and standing in front of the factory. Then, the next second, we were inside and fighting. I was running on instinct again, but I quickly realized that unlike in Port Angeles, I now knew what I was doing. Every move I made felt right. It made sense.

Vamps were dusted, demons beheaded, but the whole time I wished that Edward would be here, with me, at my side and _seeing_ me. Maybe if he saw me now, he would stop being so overprotective. And at the same time, seeing how the vampires turned to dust after I impaled them on the Scythe and the stakes I carried with me, gave me a boost of… something. It felt good. I felt good. This was… me. It scared and excited me at the same time.

Once we were done, I couldn't believe that it was already over. No vampire and no demon had gotten away. I felt like I could slay many more of them, but it was time to go back home. I couldn't remember having smiled that widely in a long time and the other girls just looked at me knowingly. It was then that I realized that all of them must have felt something similar on their first real slay out. Or maybe, they were still feeling it.

Somehow, surprisingly, it was Kennedy who summed everything I felt up into a few words. "I just love slaying."

The other Slayers were chatting excitedly about taking out the nest, as we were once again walking through the New Watchers' Council, but I just remained silent, simply enjoying this positive atmosphere around me. But as soon as we once again passed the one corridor I had already noticed on the way to the weaponry, I stopped, looking at the door. I started a bit, when I suddenly heard Faith say to the others, "You girls go ahead, have some ice-cream." Then she turned to me. "Come on, let's go."

"Why?"

"Because I feel that you need this confrontation to get some of the stuff you're dealing with out of your system."

She brushed past me and suddenly not really knowing if I wanted it or not, I followed her. The Slayer guarding the door stood up when we approached and she and Faith exchanged a few words that I didn't get. I was too busy gathering my courage to step through the door that would probably open in a few moments. Finally the Slayer stood aside and Faith opened the door, giving me a pointed look. Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

It was already late at night here in England, past eleven o'clock, but a small light on the desk was still on. An impeccable looking young woman (her mousy looking dark blond hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she was actually wearing dress pants and a blouse), just a few years older than me, was sitting at that desk, apparently reading a book. She turned around, when the door fell shut behind me, giving us some privacy, and looked at me over her reading glasses. Even though she was sitting down, even though she was locked into this room, she could still look at me as if I were beneath her. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked with a brisk British accent.

Straightening my back, I introduced myself, "My name is Isabella Swan. I'm one of the new Slayers."

Recognition dawned on her face, and she closed the book and put it on the desk. Still, she didn't get up. "Isabella Swan," she drawled. "So, you little girl are the reason why the _New Council_ saw it fit to imprison me in this room."

The way she said those words, the way she almost spat the name _New Council_, made me furious. But I tried not to let it show. Instead I said calmly, "Actually, your fraternization with an evil coven of vampires is the reason why the New Council saw it fit to imprison you in this room. I, however, was only the reason we found out about your fraternization with the evil coven of vampires."

She remained completely unimpressed by my words, still staring at me as if I were nothing more than a bug that she would love to squash under her foot. It was this indifference that caused my blood to boil even more. I no longer could keep this calm façade, but I didn't care anymore. I barely noticed the angry tears that were welling up in my eyes, as I hissed,

"But _you_ are the reason why just in a few days, probably my whole family and friends – good people - are going to die!"

"Vampires! Werewolves!" she spat. "You've allied yourself with demons! The old Council would have never done that."

Ah, so she had heard of my family. And it was getting obvious that she didn't think much of the New Council. "And what have you done? You've betrayed the New Council to the Volturi. Is that much better? Is it better to work with vampires who drink human blood, who enjoy killing people, than to be friends with vampires who try to fit in, who only drink the blood of animals and who help other people? Personally, I don't think so. And so does the New Council."

"The New Council will fail," she informed me calmly. "So many Slayers go against the natural order. The balance has tipped and it was my duty as a follower of the old Council to restore the balance. I strictly believe in order, and while it went against everything else I believe in, order could only be restored by keeping the so-called enemy informed."

The way she said this, it sounded as if she really believed this. Or at least she wanted me to believe this. Or maybe she actually did, and the added bonus of power and money had only been what had swayed her to fraternize with the enemy. Or maybe Edward had been wrong this time, and this woman really did this out of conviction of her beliefs.

I only shook my head, instead of voicing all my thoughts, all my suspicions. And to be completely honest, I didn't care anymore why she did it. I only cared about the fact that my future was ruined. I wished I could say to her face that because of her, I would never get to marry the love of my life. I would never officially become part of the best family I had ever known. Because of her, I would die as Isabella Swan, and not live forever as Isabella Cullen.

But she wasn't worth it, so instead of all these things I only said, "I pity you. I pity you, because it is obvious that you don't know the love of a family like I do. You don't know the love of a fiancé who would die for you. You don't love anyone enough to sacrifice everything, even your life, for them. And this is a sad life. I pity you."

I turned on my heels, not wanting to look at this woman a moment longer, but her cold, chilly and at the same time very triumphant voice stopped me. "I may not have or know these things, but at least I will live. And while I might not be employed at the Council much longer, I can still have everything else that I've envisioned in my future. Unlike you."

The moment the last words left her mouth, I suddenly made a decision. It was suddenly so clear and I realized that I had been thinking about this subconsciously for some time already.

She was wrong.

I had been wrong.

There was still one thing from my future that I could have, even if I died during the confrontation with the Volturi.

My mobile rang in my pocket and I knew who it would be. I didn't spare the woman behind me one more glance, as I strode out of the room, while getting my mobile out of the pocket. "Alice?" I asked, as I left the room with the phone at my ear.

A loud squeal greeted me and I smiled. "I'm so happy for you, Bella! I already called Edward and he's on his way back. But I haven't told him why you need him home. So get Dawn to bring you to our house and then he's all yours! See ya later!"

I laughed, as I put the mobile back into my pocket, earning wary looks from Faith and the Slayer who had been guarding the door. I only smiled at them, however, and went in search for Dawn. I had to get home.


	19. Vows

**A/N: Hello again! Wow, I didn't think I would ever finish this chapter! This had been incredibly hard to write, much harder than I had thought and I had to delete whole paragraphs repeatedly, because I simply wasn't satisfied with them. However, I now think this chapter is as good as it can get and I didn't want to keep you waiting much longer. After all, it's almost Christmas and you guys deserve a small Christmas present! And here it is! :o)**

**Merry Christmas everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Vows**

I was pacing Edward's room, nervously wringing my hands. Just what the hell was I planning on doing? I actually couldn't believe it, and at the same time I had never been so sure of anything else in my life. This was what I wanted and I wanted it now. No more waiting, no more excuses, no more denial. I wanted this, and I hoped that Edward would agree to this.

Only, where was he? It had taken me about five minutes to find Dawn and explain to her that I needed to go home at that very moment. She had given me a slightly quizzical look, but had opened the portal for me without further questions. I had expected Edward to be already waiting for me, but the house was deserted. No Edward, no Cullens. I was completely alone.

So I had decided to wait in Edward's room. First I had sat down on his bed, then I had stood at the windows and then had decided to pace. What was taking him so long? Hadn't he promised to be here at once, when I needed him? And now, when I needed him, he was obviously taking his sweet time!

"Bella?"

I whirled around, the annoyed look on my face immediately replaced by a huge grin, as I spotted Edward standing in the door to his room. His hair was actually disheveled – if it was from running so fast or if he had repeatedly run his hand through it, I didn't know – and he looked really worried.

Hoping to alleviate his worries, I quickly walked up to him, slung my arms around his neck and kissed him. Hard. His strong arms immediately wrapped around my body, pulling me closer against him. I sighed against his lips, liking the new confidence that Edward now had in the physical part of our relationship. But no matter how long I wanted to this to go on, there was an important matter I had to discuss with him. So, after a few moments, I reluctantly pulled away from him.

"Are you alright? Is everything okay? Where are the other girls?" Edward didn't just look worried, he sounded worried as well, as he fired off the questions after I had ended our kiss.

"I'm alright," I quickly reassured him. "Everything is okay… more than okay… and the other girls are in London."

"In London?" Edward asked incredulously. "What are they doing in London?"

"Slaying," was my short reply. "We took out a nest of vampires and demons, but…"

"Wait…" Anger now flowed into his velvet voice. "Who's _we?"_

Rolling my eyes, I explained, "Me and some of the girls. It was about time that I got some real fighting experience. However, in London I met the woman who betrayed us all and we had an enlightening little talk."

"What did she say?" Ah, the worry had won out again, even though I was sure that as soon as Edward met Faith again, he would tell her what he thought of our little field trip to London.

"A lot, but there was one thing she said that was truly enlightening."

"What was it?" He cradled my cheek in his cool hand and stared into my eyes so intensely, as if he hoped that this would be one of the moments, where he could read my thoughts.

"That unlike me, she can still have everything that she has envisioned in her future, even if she lost her job. But she was wrong," I said with a strong voice.

Edward curiously tilted his head to one side, as I, instead of saying more, gently took his hands into my own and pulled him over to the bed. I was slowly starting to get nervous again and I could feel my heart beat hard against my chest. Edward heard this, too, of course, but as he wanted to open his mouth to say something about it, I put my finger to his lips and motioned for him to sit down on the bed. Feeling as if my heart was about to burst from my chest, I swallowed hard and knelt down in front of him on the floor.

I looked up at him, directly into his golden eyes, as I voiced the one question that I had never thought I would voice. "Will you marry me, Edward Cullen?"

My favorite crooked grin appeared on his lips, as Edward asked with an amused tone to his voice, "Did you hit your head, Bella? In case you've forgotten, we are already engaged and are getting married in one week."

Shaking my head, I replied, "No, I haven't forgotten. But I don't want to wait any longer. I want to get married now, tonight!"

"Oh, Bella…" Edward sighed, but it wasn't the happy sigh that I had envisioned. Instead it was compassionate, almost a bit sad. "Somehow, I had feared this…"

My stomach clenched painfully, as I whispered the word, _"Feared?"_

Edward nodded slowly, as he pulled me back to my feet and onto his lap. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, as he explained, "Especially while we were practicing the physical side of our relationship. I know from the minds of the other girls that some of them are afraid of dying, while their virtue is still intact."

"What do you mean?" I asked stupidly and still feeling hurt.

"I mean that those girls don't want to die before they have… had sex."

"Urgh," I groaned, freeing myself from his grip and starting to pace in front of him. "Edward Cullen, this is not about my virginity!"

"Bella," he tried to sooth me, as he got up as well and once again put his arms around me. "I understand. You want to keep your promise, your side of the bargain. But Bella… I don't want you to feel forced to marry me sooner than we had planned because of this. If you really want to, we can… do it… tonight."

"You don't listen at all, do you?" I asked him, now feeling annoyed instead of hurt. I pushed him away and took a step back. "This. Is. Not. About. My. Virginity. I could bear dying as a virgin, but tonight I realized that I don't want to die as Bella Swan. If I have to die, I want to do so as Bella Cullen. I want to be joined with you before God. If he really exists, I want him to know that we, our souls, belong together."

Edward didn't say anything, seemingly at a loss for words. Or maybe deep in thoughts. I couldn't tell. His eyes were distant, not really looking at me or at anything else. I fidgeted, unsure what to do now. Why didn't he say anything? Here I had bared my soul and he was just silent.

"Please… say something," I finally begged, not being able to take his silence any longer.

His eyes snapped towards me, immediately regretful, but it seemed that he had really been lost in thoughts and had first now returned to me, to the present, to our discussion. "So… this isn't about… sex?" His voice sounded a bit hopeful.

I shook my head. "This is about love," I replied. "Edward, I want to marry you, because I want to marry you. I want to be your wife and carry your name. And I don't want to wait any longer."

Slowly a smile spread over his face and then, suddenly, I was in his arms, whirling around. I squealed in delight, before he sat me down again. "Ask me…" he whispered.

"Huh?"

"Ask me again…"

I grinned, getting on one knee before him. "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, will you marry me tonight?"

"Yes!" With a laugh, the most carefree sound I had ever heard from him, he pulled me to my feet and our lips connected again.

Feeling Edward's smile against my lips, I suddenly realized how unfair I really had been to him. How much must I have hurt him, when I had refused to even think about getting married? How must I have crushed his hopes, his belief in my love for him, when I had negotiated the terms of marrying him?

Giving him my hand in marriage in exchange for sex. How stupid! How childish had I been?

Seeing how happy he was, now that I had asked him to marry me because I loved him, and just because of that, I felt incredibly guilty for having treated him this way all the time. It truly was a wonder that he hadn't given up, that his love me for was strong enough to survive all the times I had so selfishly put my own needs and wants before his.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," I mumbled against his lips. "I have treated you so badly."

"Hush…" he whispered, as he pulled away. His hands were still cradling my face and his eyes were filled with so much joy that it took my breath away. I was right. Edward had never been that happy before. "Don't be sorry. I understand, where you were coming from. But because of this, I'm even happier now to see that you really want this."

"I do, I really do want this… So, how fast can you get us to Vegas?"

Edward laughed again and I was really beginning to like that sound. He really wasn't laughing often enough, at least not as carefree as he was doing it now. "I don't think we'll be going to Vegas tonight, Bella…"

I frowned in confusion. "Why not?" I mean, honestly, where else could we get married on such a short notice.

"Because," Alice's tinkling voice said from the doorway, startling me a bit, "I took care of everything. You've been thinking about making this decision for so long that I took some precautions and arranged some things. In not even two hours, you two will be married in a nice little chapel in Port Angeles. You're going to love it, Bella!"

I felt a huge smile spread over my face, as I let go off Edward and nearly attacked my soon-to-be sister with a tight hug. "Thank you, Alice!" This was so much better than Vegas and much more romantic. After everything I had done to Edward, after every gift that I had refused and how stubborn I had been about the whole marriage-thing, he deserved getting married in a chapel much more than just going to Las Vegas.

"I knew you would love it! And now, come on! We don't have much time and you still need to take a shower and get dressed!" She took my hand and proceeded to pull me out of Edward's room. I didn't even resist in the slightest, much too giddy to put up any resistance. I couldn't believe it. Edward and I were going to get married tonight! And I was actually looking forward to it! However, just as we stepped into the corridor, Alice turned around again and said with her don't-argue-with-me-voice, "And you, Edward Cullen, should do the same! And no peaking! Bella and I are going to meet you at the chapel!"

"You're coming with us?" I asked, a bit confused. I had thought that it was just going to be Edward and me.

"Of course!" Alice told me. "Do you really think that I'm going to miss your real wedding? And besides, you need your maid of honor by your side."

What Alice said made sense, but when she was there, couldn't I also…

"Oh Bella," Alice suddenly pouted. "Why did you do this? Now I can't see anymore how the wedding is going to be!"

"He's going to come?"

"When you call him, yes…" She was still pouting, but I ignored it and took out my mobile, quickly dialing his number. "Okay, call him, but you can talk to him while we're going to my room."

I waved at Edward, who was shaking his head with my favorite crooked grin tugging at his lips, before Alice pulled me out of his sight. It was in moments like these, when I was glad that my two left feet seemed to have disappeared, when my Slayer powers had set in, because there was no way that the Potential Bella would have survived running behind Alice without stumbling over flat ground, while talking on the phone at the same time.

"Jake, hey, it's me!"

"Bells! I thought you were going to be in London today?"

"Dawn told you, huh?" I asked with a grin. "Well, I came back early… Listen Jake, actually, this is the reason why I'm calling."

"Is everything alright?" His voice immediately sounded alarmed. "Did something happen? Is Dawn okay? Are you okay?"

"We're all fine," I quickly reassured him. "Well, I'm better than fine. Jake… Edward and I are getting married tonight."

There was silence on the other side for a short moment. By now, we had reached Alice's and Jasper's room and Alice closed the door to the room behind us, before she got some towels from her walk-in closet and disappeared in the bathroom. Only a split second later, I heard the shower start.

"Excuse me, Bells, but I think I misunderstood you. Or did you hit your head? I mean, your wedding is next week, not tonight."

"If we…" I swallowed hard. "If we survive, Edward and I will have the big wedding in one week for our families and friends. But tonight, I asked him to marry me. I don't want to wait any longer, Jake. I want to be his wife. And I want you to be there as my best man."

"Wow, Bells… this is… I guess, only a few weeks ago I would have freaked out, but now… congratulations, I guess. And if you really want me to, I'll be there."

I smiled into the phone and I hoped that Jake could hear that. "Thank you… This… imprinting business has really changed you."

"I guess so… but they're good changes, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are…"

"Okay, when does the wedding start and where do you want me to be?"

Alice, her hair damp and now only clad in a towel, handed me a note and I told Jake the address of the little chapel. "So, I'll see you shortly before seven? And dress nicely!"

"Of course, Bells… See you then!"

I ended the call and put my mobile again into my pocket. I looked up at Alice, who was still only wearing her towel, but she was beaming at me. The look on her face probably mirrored the look on mine. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, Bella!" she squealed. "Despite the fact that you've just invited a dog to your wedding!"

"I am happy," I admitted. Why had I ever thought that getting married was something bad? How could it be something bad, if it made me this happy?

"You look it," Alice agreed softly, before grabbing my hand again and pulling me over to her bathroom. "Now, take a nice shower, shave your legs and don't come out until you smell again of strawberries and freesia."

I chuckled, but when I sniffed at my T-shirt, I grimaced. Alice was right. I was stinking. Definitely a downside of Slaying. "How much time do I have?"

Her eyes glazed over for a moment, before she replied, "Twenty minutes. And you don't need to dry your hair. Just take the shower and I'll take care of the rest."

I followed Alice's orders and took the much-needed shower. I even shaved my legs, just as Alice had said, because, who knew what might happen tonight after the wedding? Even though I had said that it wasn't important to me (at least not as important as it used to be), some small part of me still hoped that Edward and I would have a real wedding night.

I finished the shower with a lot of time to spare, but with Alice being Alice, she entered the bathroom just after I had put on the fresh underwear she had laid out for me. Alice had changed in the meantime – she was now wearing a dark green dress with spaghetti straps that ended just over her knees, and high heels that would kill me, of course. She ordered me to put on a bathrobe and then led me back into her and Jasper's room, where I had to sit down in front of Alice's vanity.

When my eyes fell onto the make-up that was laid out there, I turned my pleading eyes towards her, "Please Alice, not so much…"

"Don't worry, Bella," she told me with a reassuring smile, as she plugged in the hairdryer. "Tonight is just going to be about you and Edward. You will be beautiful tonight, but you will still be you. I promise."

The look in her eyes was so sincere that I decided to put my full trust in her tonight. She got to work then, drying my hair and combing it until it fell in gentle waves down my back. Then she turned her attention to my face and much to my relief really only applied the smallest amount of make-up, so that, when she declared that she was done, I still recognized myself in the mirror.

"You are naturally beautiful, Bella," Alice said, after I had thanked her profusely for not overdoing it. "There wasn't much I had to do. And for tonight, I wasn't aiming for glamorous. I was aiming for Bella and how you would feel comfortable. But," she then added with a wink, "in one week, I'll have free reign over you."

"Of course you will," I assured her with a laugh. Alice sounded so confident that she could still have her wedding in one week that, for a split second, I was being optimistic, too.

"And now," Alice announced, pulling me out of my thoughts, "the dress."

I tried to keep the fear from my face – really, hadn't Alice just proved to me that I could trust her tonight? – as Alice slipped into the walk-in closet only to come out again a second later holding up a stunning white dress. It was a very simple dress, actually. No pearls, no diamonds, no other fancy stuff. Broad straps, small waist and flowing down from there on, ending just below my knees. I could actually see myself wearing this dress.

"This is really pretty," I whispered, as I allowed myself to finger the material. Silk of course.

"Put it on!" Alice urged. I did what I was told and just two minutes later I was admiring myself in Alice's mirror. Alice had even thought of white sandals with low heels, even though my balance had improved a lot. While I was still regarding Alice's handiwork – and I was really proud of her – she put a finger to her chin and frowned thoughtfully. "While you are already beautiful, something is still missing. The dress is new, so that is okay. You're wearing the ring from Edward's mother, which is, while not from your own family, at least something old. Something borrowed and something blue is still missing."

"Alice?" I asked curiously, as her eyes glazed over for a second. Keeping the old wedding traditions was not something that was important to me, however, it was something from Edward's past, so I decided to go along with it tonight.

Alice disappeared again for a second and this time she was holding two combs with glittering blue stones in her hands, which she fixed in my hair. Putting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head to one side and then nodded approvingly. "Something borrowed _and_ something blue from me. I think you're good to go."

Suddenly, when she had said those words, butterflies exploded in my stomach. I couldn't believe I was actually going through with it. I was absolutely crazy – but I wanted it, more than anything else at this moment. So, with a resolute nod at my mirror image, I turned to Alice. "Let's go. Edward's waiting for me."

"Yeah, don't let the groom wait too long."

Alice parked her yellow Porsche in front of one of the most beautiful chapels I had ever seen. It was lying just on the outskirts of Port Angeles, in front of the woods. Small and white, as if it came just out of a fairy tale. Or maybe I was just feeling as if I were going to step right into a fairy tale. Edward was nowhere to be seen, but Jake was standing on the pavement, just at the end of the narrow gravel path that led to the chapel's door.

Much to my surprise, he opened the passenger door and helped me out of the car. There was a bright smile on his face, as he took me in. Luckily, the evening was – while still being overcast - warm enough so that I didn't need a jacket. "Wow, Bells… you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Jake," I replied, fighting against the blush that was about to rise in my cheeks. "But you're pretty handsome yourself."

Grinning, Jake stretched out his arms and turned around for me once, showing off his black dress pants, white shirt and black jacket. "And I'm not even the groom."

"No…" I sighed, looking wistfully to the doors of the chapel, knowing very well that Edward was inside with the reverend.

"How are you feet, Bella?" Alice asked, as she skipped up to us. Her nose wrinkled slightly, as she took in Jake's smell, but she graced him with a welcoming smile anyway. "Hello Jacob."

"Hello Alice," Jake answered and then turned again to me. "So, really, how are your feet, Bells?"

"Toasty warm," I replied, telling the truth, even though the butterflies in my stomach seemed to have multiplied tenfold.

"Perfect," Alice smiled. "I'll now go inside and tell Reverend Miller that we're ready. You can come inside, when I open the door again. I will walk down the aisle first and then you follow, okay?"

"Okay." This was easy, I could do that. But when Alice disappeared in the chapel, I suddenly remembered that Jacob was still there. He looked a bit uncertain, not knowing what he should do. And then, all of a sudden, I knew what his role would be in this wedding. "Jake, would you like to give me away?"

He looked startled for a moment, but then smiled. "I'd love to, Bells."

I returned his smile, before I nervously looked back to the door. Jake took my arm and together we walked to the door, where we would wait for Alice to come back and give us the signal that we could come in. Feeling Jake's arm in mine, I knew I had done the right thing in asking him to do this for me. This would be symbolic for both of us – and not in the traditional way of a father giving away his daughter to her husband. When Jake gave me away, it would mean something different. It would mean that he acknowledged that I wasn't going to be his, that he could move on – maybe with Dawn, or maybe with someone else. And that I didn't need to feel guilty for hurting Jake, because I wasn't hurting him.

I was startled, as the door was opened again with a creaking sound. Alice looked at us and gave me a reassuring smile. Then, the organs began to play the wedding march and I noticed that all of the butterflies were gone.

It was time and I was ready.

And then, as Alice was walking down the aisle, I saw Edward. His eyes were fixed on me and there was the brightest smile I had ever seen on his face. He was beaming, his whole face radiant with joy. And I felt myself smiling as well. With my eyes fixed on Edward, I didn't notice that Alice had arrived at the end of the aisle and was now standing at the altar next to Edward. Jake had to give me a nudge to tell me that it was our turn. I never removed my eyes from Edward, noticing how incredibly handsome he was in his black suit, until I was standing right in front of him and the music stopped playing.

"We are gathered here today, in the sight of God, and in the face of family and friends, to join together Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted by God, since the first man and woman walked on the earth," the reverend – I saw out of the corner of my eyes that he was a middle-aged man with wrinkles around his eyes – spoke with a surprisingly strong and at the same time soft voice. "Therefore, it is not to be entered into unadvisedly, or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this Holy Estate, these two people present come now to be joined. If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

I subconsciously held my breath, almost expecting someone to speak up, even though only Edward, Alice, Jake and I were present. But it remained silent, no one said anything, and I exhaled quietly in relief.

"Who gives the bride away?" the reverend continued.

"I do," Jake answered. "Her best friend." Then he took my hand and put it into Edward's. Jake didn't say anything, but Edward nodded at him anyway, so I guess that Jake had said some well chosen words in his thoughts. Jake gave me one more smile, before he walked away to stand next to Alice.

"I require, and charge you both, that if either of you know any impediment, why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, you confess it now." Reverend Miller looked at Edward and me, but we didn't say anything - there really was nothing to say - so he eventually continued with a smile on his face, "Very well. Mr. Cullen, would you say your vow now, please?"

"Of course," Edward agreed smiling, before squeezing my hands slightly and turning his full attention towards me.

I, however, paled slightly. Vows? No one had said anything about vows! How was I supposed to find the perfect words to say to Edward at this short notice, without warning?

"My Bella, my love," Edward began, "when I first laid my eyes upon you, I couldn't understand, why every boy at school was so obsessed with you. You were nothing but a normal, shallow and boring girl, just like everyone else. At least, that's what I had thought. For a short time, I even wanted to hate you, but it wasn't possible."

Edward grinned lightly at his, shaking his head at the memory. I remembered how jealous he had always been of the other boys' thoughts. Still was, probably. Oh, if Mike Newton knew what Edward and I were doing right now.

"Without doing much, you have managed to convince me that you are nothing like the others. I became fascinated by you and eventually fell in love with you. And I was the happiest man in the world, when you admitted to have fallen in love with me, too."

_And so the lion fell in love with the lamb._ It sounded so cheesy in my head now, but back then, this had been the most romantic, and at the same time truest thing he could have said about our love.

"However, our relationship had been off to a rocky start, we've had our disagreements and problems, but the worst mistake I made was leaving you and lying to you. Even if it was to protect you. I still regret the pain and suffering I put you through and I still can't believe how you could have forgiven me so easily, when I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive myself for this."

I so wanted to reach out to him, to erase the pain that flickered through his eyes. But my hands remained in his and I could only hope to convey with my eyes that he didn't need to feel guilty about this anymore.

"But you did, you chose me, when you had other options and now here we are. Today, you're going to make me the happiest man on earth, because here you are, in front of me, willingly and happy about what we're going to do. And because of this, I ask you now: Isabella Marie Swan, do you take me, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, for you lawfully wedded husband, no matter what happens?"

"I do," I whispered, barely keeping the tears in my eyes from running down my cheeks. I couldn't remove my eyes from Edward's, as he, without looking, took my wedding ring from Alice and slid it on my finger.

"Now, Miss Swan, would you please say your vow?"

I swallowed once, nodding, suddenly knowing exactly what I wanted to say. "My Edward, my love, when I first met you, you were an enigma. I couldn't understand how someone could hate me so much without knowing me. And even when you suddenly started talking to me, your mood swings tended to give me whiplash."

This time, I grinned. Edward had been pretty irritating back then, talking to me, being a gentleman at one moment and telling me that we shouldn't be friends at the next.

"But I couldn't help myself, I was falling for you and then, when you finally showed me who you really are and we admitted our feelings, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. No matter how often you told me that you loved me, I always waited for the other shoe to drop. And it did. You left me and I admit that it was hard and painful and that I never want to go through something like that again."

Memories of the pain flitted through me and I had to suppress a shudder. The hole in my chest was stitched up firmly and, while it would probably never heal completely, I knew that it would only be the ghost of a memory after tonight.

"However, in a way I'm glad that it happened, because you came back to me. You admitted that you lied to me, that you still loved me and that it had been a mistake. Now I'm not waiting for the other shoe to drop anymore, because now I know that you won't leave me again. Edward, while it hurt both of us, I don't regret that it happened and I want you to forgive yourself, because it made our love and the bond between us stronger. It made us as persons stronger."

Edward was my soul mate, my other half. We had tried to live without each other and it had been too painful. We both knew whom we couldn't live without now and this has strengthened everything in our relationship. I was no longer afraid that he would leave me.

"Honestly, I don't think that I would stand before you here and now, if you hadn't left me, because I would have been too scared of taking this step, if there was a chance that you would tire of me and leave me. But you won't. You love me and I love you, and because of our love for each other, I ask you now: Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, do you take me, Isabella Marie Swan, for your lawfully wedded wife, no matter what happens?"

"I do," Edward replied, his voice thick. I was sure that, if he could, he would shed a few tears. Alice handed me the ring and, only looking at Edward's face, I slid the ring on his finger.

I was so lost in Edward's eyes, which shone so happily, that I almost didn't hear the reverend, as he said, "I now proclaim you husband and wife. Mr. Cullen, you may now kiss your bride."

Edward didn't need to be told this twice, as just a split second later I was in his arms and felt his lips on mine. It was a sweet kiss, not too long and not too passionate to be indecent, but I had to resist pouting, when Edward pulled away.

Alice cheered and hugged both me and Edward tightly, as she congratulated us. Jake shook Edward's hand, before he, too, engulfed me in a tight hug. "Congrats, Bells," he mumbled.

"Thanks, Jake…" I said, when he let go of me.

Edward and I then turned to the reverend, who looked at us with a smile on his face. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, may I also offer my congratulations?"

He shook our hands and I said to him, "Thank you, also for doing this on such a short notice."

"Ah, no need to thank me. I'm always happy to be of service to a couple in love. I only wish you the best in your future."

"Thank you, again," Edward told him, while I just smiled at the reverend. He was truly a nice person and I regretted a bit that I didn't have the chance to talk to him beforehand. Then, Edward took my hand and we left the chapel, followed shortly after by Alice and Jake, who also thanked the reverend for the nice service.

Once we were outside, Edward pulled me again into a kiss – this time long and not as chaste as before. "Let's go home," Edward whispered into my ear, his voice husky.

"Really," Alice suddenly huffed next to us and we pulled apart. I knew that my face was now deep red. "Don't tell me that you want to spend your wedding night at home, where everyone can hear you."

"Ugh, Bells," Jake grimaced. "I didn't take you for the type who wants everyone to know what's happening behind the bedroom door."

"Jake," I admonished him, still blushing.

"But," Alice announced grinning, "as it is, there is no need for you to go home yet. Because there's this nice little bed and breakfast just a few miles outside of Port Angeles. If you decide to go there, they will have a room booked for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

"Oh Alice," I cried out, letting go off Edward and hugging her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! For everything you've done for us today!"

"All in a day's work of a pixie," she told me grinning. "And now, off you go. I'll tell the family that you needed some time for yourself and that you'll be back sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks again," I mumbled, before I went over to Jake, also hugging him. "Thanks for coming, Jake. This really means a lot to me."

"I know, Bells. And now, off you go. Have a nice… night…" Jake grimaced a bit, "with him."

"Goodbye, Jake… I'll see you and Alice tomorrow."

Edward took my hand and we went to where he had parked the Volvo. We didn't speak, but held hands almost the whole time, while he was driving towards the little bed and breakfast that Alice had talked about.

I was absentmindedly playing with the new ring on my finger and thought back to what had happened today. And then, it suddenly hit me. I smiled brightly. I was no longer Bella Swan. I was now Bella Cullen. And it really wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. As a matter of fact, it felt fantastic. I was now joined with Edward in the most sacred way.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Edward whispered, disturbing the silence just once, as he looked straight at me.

I only smiled at him, "I'm happy."

Edward returned my smile, only that his must be much brighter than mine, because his was as bright as the sun, almost blinding me.

We had to follow a narrow road into the woods until we reached the bed and breakfast that Alice had talked about. Just as the chapel, this house should belong in a fairy tale. It was completely made of wood and it was so small that it couldn't house more than five guest rooms.

Edward got out of the car and I waited for him to open my door. He took my hand and helped me out of the car, before he let go off my hand for a short moment to retrieve a bag from the trunk. Leave it to Alice to pack us a bag with clothes for tonight and tomorrow. We walked through the front door hand in hand and stopped in front of a small wooden counter. I looked around. The house looked really cozy and I couldn't wait to see our rooms.

"Can I help you, dears?" an elderly grey-haired woman, who had suddenly appeared at the counter, tore me out of my thoughts.

"I hope you can," Edward said with his dazzling smile. "I believe my sister has booked a room for my wife and me. For Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen?"

_My wife_. Hearing him say those two words made me feel all warm in the insides.

The elderly woman grinned brightly. "Of course, your darling sister told me about you. I'd like to offer my congratulations. You are truly a lovely couple, so in love, just as newlyweds should be."

I once again felt the blush rise in my cheeks and softly mumbled, "Thank you."

The woman just smiled at me knowingly and then handed Edward the key to our room and told him to sign the reservation. "Now, when Miss Cullen told me that you would spend your wedding night here, I decided that I wouldn't just give you any room. You see, I have a nice little cottage out in the back, nothing much, just two rooms, but I don't think you need much more tonight."

"That sounds wonderful," Edward told her. "Could you please also let some food come to the cottage? Something simple?"

"You don't even have to ask, my dear! You must be starving! After all, it was a rather exciting day. I remember, when I married my dear late Henry, I couldn't eat anything at all the day of the wedding! I was just so excited."

Before now, I hadn't even thought about eating, but suddenly, my stomach began to rumble quietly. The nice elderly woman didn't hear it, so quiet was it, but Edward heard it of course and he grinned slightly. "Thank you so much for you hospitality," he said, dazzling her again with his smile. "If you would excuse us, I think my wife and I would like to go to the cottage now."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to keep you," she said, winking at me, which only caused me to blush again. "You two go ahead and I will prepare something to eat for you." She winked again and then left through a door, which probably led to the kitchen.

Edward took my hand again and we left again through the front door, walked around the house and there we could already see it. Nestled between some trees was a romantic, small, wooden cottage. I loved it immediately and somehow regretted that it wasn't winter, because it would surely be beautiful covered in snow with smoke rising up from the chimney.

We had just reached the front door, when Edward suddenly lifted me up in his arms. I squealed, startled by his actions, but then laughed in delight, as Edward opened the door and carried me over the threshold, just as a husband should do. However, instead of putting me down once we were inside, he carried me further through the living room, of which I just caught a glimpse, and right into the bedroom.

There was a king-size four-poster bed at the wall of the room and it was there, where Edward laid me down. He was gone for a split second, putting the bag away, before he was hovering over me. "Have I told you yet, how beautiful you are, Mrs. Cullen?" he whispered huskily.

"No," I whispered in reply, suddenly feeling a bit anxious. _Mrs. Cullen_. I could get used to being called that. It gave me the same warm feeling as Edward calling me his wife.

Edward's eyes were burning with hunger and lust, but not for my blood. "Then I'm going to tell you now and again and again and again in the course of the night." He was trailing kisses down my neck, inhaling deeply and my breath hitched.

"So, we're going to try?" I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

Edward looked at me again, his burning eyes resting on me, as he answered, "Yes, we're going to try. But… but if I hurt you in any way, you must tell me at once."

"Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."

Edward and I shared one more long and intense look, but then he descended on me again, capturing my lips in the deepest and most passionate kiss we had ever shared, pouring all of his love and happiness into it.

My whole body felt as if it were on fire and if I hadn't known it before, I would now know for sure that I had done the right thing tonight. Edward and I belonged together. Forever.

"Forever," Edward echoed my thought.

**A/N2: A few lines were taken from Stephenie Meyer's novel "Breaking Dawn".**


	20. Wakeup Call

**A/N: Thanks to winter break at my school I had some time to write this chapter! It's not as long as the last one, but we're slowly but surely getting nearer to the story's finale! Only a couple of more chapters to go!**

**But before you go on reading, I wanted to thank all my reviewers for the great feedback that they left me! It really brightens my day, whenever I read one, so keep them coming, guys! **

**Oh, and another thing… You might again recognize some dialogue from "Breaking Dawn", but as you will see, the context will differ (slightly) from "Breaking Dawn". ^^**

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**Chapter 19: Wake-up Call**

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't need to open my eyes to know where I was. There was no confusion as there usually was, when you woke up in a strange place, only certainty. I was in the bedroom of the nice little cottage of the bed and breakfast that Alice had booked for Edward's and my wedding night. If I opened my eyes, I would see the wooden walls, the beautiful decorations throughout the room and the deep green canopy of the four-poster bed.

I would see the pale skin of Edward's chest, as I was snuggled up against him. I could already feel his feather-light touches on my back, as his fingers trailed down my spine. He knew that I was awake, but I didn't want to open my eyes yet. I wanted to enjoy this, lying here in the arms of my husband, after a night of love. I was too happy at this moment to change anything, no matter how small. I wanted to stay in this dream for now, because I knew that reality would catch up with us soon enough. Instead I focused on his cool touch, our breathing, my heartbeat.

Edward, however, seemed to have other ideas, as I could feel him move next to me and then hear this voice whisper huskily into my ear, "Good morning, Mrs. Cullen."

Smiling, I wrapped my arms tighter around him. Just as last night, I couldn't get close enough to him. I sighed against him, still not opening my eyes. I just wanted to lie here forever, to never disturb the moment. I just felt perfect. A little on the sore side, but it was a good kind of sore. As if I had worked out really hard in training – but that was not exactly it. Probably for the first time in weeks I felt completely relaxed.

I was completely and blissfully happy.

"I know you're awake…" Edward's breath tickled my ear, and then, suddenly, the blanket I had been wrapped up in was yanked away. My eyes flew open just in time to see Edward hovering above me and the thin blanked slowly descending down on us, covering both of us completely. I couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped my throat, as this reminded me too much of a scene of the 1995 version of Romeo and Juliet. "What is so funny?"

Edward was grinning down at me and I couldn't help but grin as well. "Nothing," I quickly said, not really wanting to admit that I had been thinking of a younger Leonardo DiCaprio, while my husband was hovering over me. "I'm just happy…"

"Me, too…" he still whispered, as his fingers began to trail along my arms, my stomach, sending goose bumps over my skin. "Somehow, I didn't think I would be this morning. I had feared… that I would have hurt you. But… it's amazing."

"What is?" I asked, my breath hitching.

"How you're healing… There were some bruises on your skin last night, but not many, and they were pale. I could watch them fade and now… now there's nothing left. Your skin is unmarred, still as pale and beautiful as it always is."

"That's… that's good to hear…" I stuttered, as Edward's fingers wandered to places they had never been before last night. It was rather… distracting. Though I was glad that Edward felt this way this morning. Some part in me had feared that he would be beating himself up in the morning, because he had thought that he had hurt me. I knew him, I knew how he could be and I knew that it would have been nearly impossible to convince him that he had done nothing wrong. Even if the night would have been as great as last night had been – last night had proven to me once again that Edward and I were made for each other. We had fit perfectly together, like two corresponding pieces, just made to match up.

This had given me a secret satisfaction – we were compatible physically, as well as all the other ways. Fire and ice, Slayer and Vampire, somehow existing together without destroying each other.

It was at this moment that I was grateful that he Power That Be had chosen me as a Potential and that Willow had awoken this power in me, because I probably would have ended up in black, blue and green bruises and Edward upset, if I still bruised as easily and healed as slowly as I used to before I had been Called.

"So, did this night make the top ten of your best nights?" I asked, breathlessly. But suddenly, Edward pulled his hands away, not answering my question. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?" I knew I was pouting, but I didn't care. I wanted him to continue.

Edward sighed regretfully, as he pulled the blanket down and put it around me. He got up and put on his pants, as he answered, "Betty is almost here. She will know, if we want to have breakfast, or rather, a very late breakfast."

Betty was, as Edward had told me last night, when he had fed me the most delicious lasagna I'd ever eaten sometime around midnight, the name of the elderly lady who ran the bed and breakfast. It had been really nice of her to leave the lasagna on our doorstep, just hoping that we would find it sometime during the night, when we hadn't answered her knocking at the door.

I sighed, but this sound was almost drowned out by my rumbling stomach. A quick glance to the old fashioned alarm clock on the bedside table told me that it was more lunchtime than time for breakfast. Grinning sheepishly, I admitted, "I might be a bit hungry. Could you please tell her that we will come to the main building when I've had a shower?"

"If that is your wish, my wife, then I'll oblige you." He kissed my hand and then disappeared to the living room area, where our front door was.

Sighing again, I wrapped the blanket tighter around my body and climbed out of the bed. It took a short moment to find some suitable underwear among all the lace that Alice had packed for me, and then I went into the adjoining bathroom. I had only been there once the night before, for a short human minute, and hadn't had the time to take a look around. Now I regretted that, because there was a big bathtub and I knew that I wouldn't have enough time to soak. So I turned to the shower cubicle, which also had a nice size and, while not as luxurious as the Cullens', was definitely better than the old shower at Charlie's house, which I had destroyed.

There was a great assortment of shampoos and body wash – even something that smelled of strawberries – and while I let the water run warm, I let the blanket fall to the ground and took a look at myself in the big mirror above the sink. Somehow, I expected to look differently, but I still looked the same – Edward had been right; there was not a single mark to be seen on my body. But I felt differently. Complete. The missing part of the Bella-jigsaw had finally been found and put into its place.

I saw and heard the door open behind me and Edward stepped inside. I fought a blush, as I realized that he was completely naked – just as I was. He walked up to me and wrapped his cool arms around me from behind. "I never took you for being vain, Mrs. Cullen."

The warm feeling spread again through my stomach upon hearing Edward address me that way. "I don't think I'll ever tire of hearing you say that."

"And I'll never tire of saying it, Mrs. Cullen."

He was once again kissing me, along my shoulder, my neck… Who would have thought that Edward Cullen could be so bold? "Are you trying to seduce my, my husband?"

This was the first time I had said those words to him, trying them out. It did feel a bit weird, because I still felt that terms like boyfriend, fiancé or husband didn't even cover what Edward was to me, but it was also right, because that's what he was.

I was suddenly turned around and his lips crushed onto mine, while he was pressing me tightly against him. "Say that again," he nearly growled.

"My husband," I whispered against his lips, and then, a split second later, we were under the hot spray of the shower. Edward and I gazed into each others' eyes for what seemed to me like an eternity, before his lips once again descended.

Edward and I were walking hand in hand from the little cottage to the main building. We were a bit later than we had planned – I still had to blush when I thought of what had happened in the shower – and I was now positively starving. I prayed that Betty's breakfast would be just as excellent as her lasagna had been. I resolved that I would ask her for the recipe, as I just had to try it out and make it for Charlie.

She seemed to be already waiting for us and I immediately felt bad for taking so long. As I apologized, she only waved it off, once again winking at me, and led us to a beautifully decorated table in what apparently used to be the living room of the house. There was a huge bunch of roses to the side and around my plate were even more flowers, which reminded me a lot of the flowers that could be found in our meadow. In the middle of the table was a basket with rolls and croissants, and bowls with eggs and bacon and many different flavors of jam. It looked and smelled delicious and I could feel my mouth begin to water.

However, there was only one plate, but before I could ask, Betty said, "One plate for your dear Bella, just as you wished, young man. Are you sure, you don't want anything? I'm sure that I can find something in my kitchen that you can eat."

"I thank you for your concern, but I've already eaten. My sister has packed me some food that is compatible to my special diet," Edward replied smoothly, also answering my unasked question. I suppressed a light grin, when Edward mentioned his special diet – Betty would never suspect what this diet consisted of.

"If you're sure." She still sounded concerned, almost like a grandmother. "You look a bit peaky."

"I'm sure, thank you…" Edward smiled at her, dazzling Betty effectively, so that she let him off the hook.

"Alright, dear…" she sighed, before she turned her attention to me. "And you, dig in! You must be hungry! I remember that I was starving after my wedding night."

I immediately felt the warmth rise in my cheeks again. "I am… And this really smells delicious."

She smiled warmly at me, before she left us alone in the room. "Special diet?" I asked Edward, once she was gone.

He just shrugged with a grin. "I told her that I have an intolerance to many things that can be found in most food products, like gluten or lactose. It is more common than one might think."

"Interesting," I mumbled, grinning as well, as I took the first bite of the eggs. They were simply delicious, much better than I could have prepared them.

I really enjoyed the breakfast – I couldn't decide what was the most delicious – and apparently Edward took pleasure in watching me eat and making appreciative noises with every bite that I took. Unfortunately, Betty had prepared way too much food for me and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't eat everything. I had already eaten much more than I thought I could and my stomach was already feeling round. If I didn't know better, I would say that I had become pregnant with Edward's unborn and quickly growing half-human/half-vampire child. That's how round I felt.

"Are you done already?" Betty asked, when she came inside to check on us and saw that Edward pulled my chair away and helped me stand up.

"Yes, and it was perfect," I gushed. "You wouldn't give me your recipes by any chance, so that I could prepare food that is just as delicious as yours for my family?"

"I'm sorry, my dear… But those recipes are all a family secret. I can't give them to you." She was smiling, but I could see the regret in her eyes. It mustn't be often that young women asked her for the recipes.

I sighed, but smiled anyway to ease her guilt. "Too bad, but it was really delicious. The whole stay here was just great. It was the perfect honeymoon."

"I'm glad to hear this. I wish you two just the best for your future." She took my hands and squeezed them tightly. "Young couples like you deserve this."

"Thanks…" I mumbled, not wanting to think about the fact that Edward's and my future would end in two days. Betty let go off my hands and Edward put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

We got our bags from the cottage and after we had said goodbye to Betty and thanked her once again for the lovely stay – Alice had already paid the bill, of course - Edward and I were again in the Volvo on the way back to Forks. I sighed, as we passed the green forests outside, not really wanting to return home already. I wanted to stay in this fairy tale world with Edward, just with him, alone for all eternity.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Edward whispered, covering my hand with his own.

"I don't want to go home," I told him without editing my thoughts. I played with the wedding band on my ring finger. "I don't want to take this off."

"You don't need to."

"Yes, I do… Otherwise everyone else will know what we did and they will be so disappointed. I want the big wedding for them, especially for Charlie and Renée… I mean… if we survive the fight."

"You misunderstood me, Mrs. Cullen…" Edward told me with his crook grin and suddenly, a golden necklace was dangling in front of my face. "You can wear the ring around your neck, until it's time to wear it on your finger for everyone to see. I'll do the same."

What I wanted to do now most, was to hug Edward tightly, but even if he was a vampire, I didn't want to risk distracting him while driving. And by now I was pretty sure that I could distract him from driving, no matter how much he claimed otherwise. "Thank you," I only said instead, vowing that I would repay him for this gesture later tonight, when we were alone. I took the necklace from him, slid the ring from my finger and pulled the necklace through it, before I put it around my neck and hid it under the T-shirt I was wearing.

I would have to take it off during training and the battle, of course, but I swore that I would wear it all the other times.

"By the way, Bella… Number one… Last night is the new number one of the best nights of my life."

Edward took my hand and kissed it, and I only beamed at him, feeling exactly the same.

Since Charlie thought that I was staying with Alice, Edward had to bring us to his house, where the little pixie and Dawn were already waiting for us. For a split second the question what Dawn was doing here, obviously knowing what had happened, according to the bright grin on her face, flitted through my mind, but I pushed it away just as quickly. There was only one person, who would have told her, who couldn't deny her anything: Jake. I sighed, but I trusted Dawn not to spread the news among the Scoobies and the Slayers.

Alice and Dawn both hugged Edward and me tightly and then told me to say goodbye to Edward, because they were bringing me home now for some girl time. When I asked them, if I didn't have to train today, Dawn only winked at me and whispered, "I think you've had enough training last night."

I blushed of course, my face resembling a tomato for sure, as I waved at Edward, while Alice and Dawn were pulling me to Edward's Volvo. Charlie was at home, as Alice parked the Volvo next to my Mercedes, his cruiser standing there as well. He was sitting in the kitchen, cleaning his gun, and I had to swallow hard, wondering what he would do with it, if he ever found out, what Edward and I had done last night. I felt the ring rest heavily against my chest.

"Morning Charlie!" Alice and Dawn chirped at the same time, as they stepped inside. It was kind of creepy how alike Alice and Dawn were – both hyperactive teenagers, whose eyes lit up, when they heard the word _shopping_. For a moment I was glad that Alice could never be on a sugar high.

"Morning dad," I greeted him, hoping that my face didn't betray anything.

"Morning?" he asked chuckling. "It's already afternoon! What have you girls been up to last night that you think it's still morning?"

"You don't really want to know what's happened on your daughter's early bachelorette party, do you, Charlie?" Alice asked grinning.

Charlie cleared his throat and suddenly looked away sheepishly, mumbling something about things a father really didn't need to know and returned to cleaning his gun. "Well, I'll leave you girls to whatever it is you need to do after a night like this…"

"Thanks, Charlie!" Dawn chirped again, as Alice was already grabbing my hand again, ready to pull me upstairs. I only grinned helplessly at Charlie, as he raised his head once again, shaking it slightly at our antics.

I swore that Alice fully used the fact that I was no longer as clumsy and breakable as I used to be, as she dragged me to my room and sat me down in the middle of my bed as if I were a puppet. She and Dawn sat down across from me and looked at me expectantly, eagerly.

"So, tell us, how was it?" Alice asked.

I rolled my eyes, as I replied, "You know how it was, Alice. You've seen all of it already, I'm sure."

She waved this off. "Maybe, but I only see pictures, Bella. I don't see how you're feeling. And you seem to forget that Dawn can't see the future, so she doesn't know. And now, spill! How was it?"

My face began to feel warm again, as I muttered, almost inaudibly, "It was fantastic. Better than I could have ever hoped."

"I knew it!" Alice clapped her hands. "And now, details, please!"

"Alice," I groaned, hoping that she or Dawn would give in, but, as I should have known, neither of them would. And so, with a hot face, I gave Alice and Dawn some details of last night, hoping against hope that Edward wouldn't read this in their minds later today.

The afternoon passed quickly – at least after Dawn and Alice had decided to stop grilling me about my wedding night. We didn't do much, instead of watching some TV downstairs in the living room and talking. Or at least, Dawn and Alice did a lot of the talking, while I was listening. Though I sometimes was almost a bit dizzy, because of the speed at which they talked and changed the subjects. Still, whenever they noticed that I zoned out and my mind turned to more serious and darker thoughts, they immediately drew me back into their conversation to keep my mind off those thoughts.

I cooked dinner for them and Charlie that night – Charlie had reclaimed his living room and was watching some sports while we girls were in the kitchen – careful not to let Dawn anywhere near the stove. Alice appeared to have seen some accidents happen, if I let Dawn near it, so she did her best to keep Dawn entertained, while I was doing the cooking.

Once it was dinnertime, Charlie was saved from being the only man in the midst of three girls by Jake's arrival. He just announced that he was starving and sat down on an empty chair, grinning brightly and waiting to be served. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, but gave him some food. With the amount of food that Jake was devouring, Charlie never noticed that Alice didn't eat a bite.

However, I didn't try to grin, when I saw how close Jake and Dawn were sitting. None of them seemed to notice it, they didn't seem to sit so close on purpose, and yet I could almost see how they were gravitating towards each other. They were teasing each other the whole time and I could detect nothing of the animosity that Dawn used to feel towards Jake and the imprinting or of the dark mood that always surrounded Jake, when Dawn was rejecting him.

After dinner and once the kitchen was clean again, our guests left, leaving me and Charlie alone for the first time since yesterday. While I was putting the last plates into the cupboard, I could feel Charlie's eyes on me. I turned my head and for a split second, he looked like he wanted to ask me something, but the look in his eyes was immediately gone. "Is everything okay?" I asked, suddenly feeling worried. He couldn't suspect anything, could he?

He looked at me for another longer moment, before he shook his head. "Nah, it's nothing. I… uh…" He thought for a moment, while I was waiting patiently, even though it was more than obvious that he wasn't going to say what he originally wanted to say and instead tried to think of something else. "Did you… notice anything between Jacob and Dawn tonight? They seemed awfully chummy. I mean, I've seen them together before, but somehow it seems like they're more than just friends."

I grinned, somehow glad that Charlie had chosen to change the subject. I wasn't sure how I would react, if Charlie asked if I was really out with the girls last night, or if I had maybe a secret date with Edward, planning to elope with him. "There might be something going on between them."

"That's… nice…" Charlie cleared his throat. "It's good to see that he's over you. And Dawn seems like a nice girl."

Saying nothing more, Charlie retreated again into the living room and I, not even having to claim that I was tired, went to my room shortly after. As usual, Edward was already waiting for me. I was in his arms before I knew it, returning his deep kiss. "I missed you, my wife," he whispered huskily.

"I missed you, too, my husband."

Again a low growl, that almost sounded like "Mine!" escaped his throat and I found myself lying on my bed, trapped underneath Edward. My heartbeat sped up, as I looked into his smoldering eyes. With Charlie downstairs, there wasn't much that we could do, but this didn't stop us from making out like two horny teenagers.

The rest of the night I only spent in his arms, sleeping. I had been too exhausted from the night before to stay awake for long, but my sleep was calm, without dreams, nightmares or visions. I slept like a stone, so when Edward suddenly woke me up the next morning, I was a bit disoriented. It must have been early, because the sun was still standing very low at the sky, but I became quickly aware of the extra person standing in the middle of my bedroom.

"Dawn!" I exclaimed surprised. "What are you doing here at… seven o'clock in the morning?"

"We have an emergency Scooby meeting at the Cullens' house," she explained quickly. "Something's happened last night. You have to be there."

"I can't! Charlie will wonder, where I'll go this early in the morning."

"Charlie isn't here," Edward told me. "He got a call one hour ago, just before sunrise. There's been an attack. They say an animal attack. Is it this, what this meeting is about, Dawn?"

"I guess so. Get ready. I'll come back and get you in a few minutes, after I've brought the girls from La Push to your house."

"Don't worry about us," Edward informed her, as I was already getting out of bed and pulling my jeans on. "I'll carry Bella to my house. You just take care of the girls."

"Alright." Dawn nodded resolutely – gone was the hyperactive giddy teenager, replaced by a girl who was fighting against the forces of evil –, opened a portal and stepped through it, leaving Edward and me alone. I had pulled a T-shirt and a sweatshirt over my head and was now running a brush through my hair, before securing it in a bun at the nape of my neck.

"I'm ready to go."

Without hesitating a split second, Edward threw me over his shoulder, so that I was comfortably settled on his back, and took off in a run, jumping out of my window and speeding through the forest until we were standing in front of his house. Just as we stepped inside, the portal opened and Dawn came out with the Slayers that were staying at La Push and Jake.

"Okay, what's going on?" I asked immediately, seeing that everyone that needed to be there was there.

"There was an attack," Giles explained. "A… a vampire attack."

Inwardly, I was screaming. This couldn't be. They were supposed to arrive tomorrow night, not last night, not today. We weren't ready! There was still so much to prepare! And Charlie was out there, probably looking after the thing! But outwardly, I tried to remain cool. "Your kind? Or my kind?"

"Our kind." Hearing Giles' answer was a relief, because it could just be a coincident. Maybe the Volturi weren't behind this. Maybe they weren't here yet. "Mandy and Amber were out last night, at a party they had been invited to by some boys from the local high school. When they went home at around half past five, they saw a vampire attack one of the boys."

"Oh no…" I began to shake and immediately felt Edward's soothing hands on my shoulders. "What happened?"

"They killed the vampire," Giles continued, "but the boy was already unconscious. He had already lost a lot of blood and they had to bring him to the hospital. There they told the staff that they had seen a big dog attack the boy and that they had just barely managed to chase it off."

"Luckily, I was there," Carlisle threw in. "The vampire had hit the aorta and, while the boy is stable now, his condition had been critical, when he was brought in. He needed transfusions, but if the wound is healing well, I might already be able to release him in time for the wedding. He was even awake, when I went home half an hour ago."

"Oh god, who was it?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. There weren't many boys from high school that we had invited to the wedding.

"Mike Newton."

Carlisle's words registered only a split second after he had said them and my knees went weak. Edward caught me and led me over to the couch, where we sat down. This couldn't happen! This wasn't supposed to happen. None of my friends were supposed to be drawn into this world. But was this even possible, when this world threatened to overrun Forks?

"It might be," Edward suddenly answered, though no one had asked a question. At least not out loud. Noticing that almost everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to elaborate, he explained, "Faith was wondering, if this vampire attack might be connected to the arrival of the Volturi. Chances are of course, that this vampire has just strayed into this area, but I believe it is more likely that he has heard that an army of vampires is to gather here at this place and that he's just arrived a bit early."

"I believe that Edward and Faith are right," Giles agreed. "It is unlikely that a vampire, and one of our kind on top of that, just stumbles into Forks two days before the Volturi are supposed to arrive. However, this might also mean that more vampires and maybe demons will come to Forks before the Volturi are here."

"Then there's only one thing we can do," Faith announced. "We need to patrol. Since there'll also be demons in the mix, I'd say that ten Slayers patrol the town during daytime and that they'll be relieved when the sun has set by ten other Slayers. Luckily Forks's a small town, so teams of two should be enough to cover the ground."

"Sounds like a plan," Jake agreed with a smirk. "Only you seem to have forgotten one tiny thing. That you have a pack of wolves at your command. I suggest that your Slayers take over the town and that we patrol the area around Forks. Maybe we can head some of those demons off, before they reach Forks."

I was watching silently, as my friends made plans on how to best protect Forks until the crisis with the Volturi was over. My mind was reeling. I just couldn't get over the fact that one of my friends had been hurt, one of my helpless human friends, and that there had been nothing I could have done. Mike had been lucky that the two Slayers had found him when they did. Otherwise he would be dead, or worse, one of the soulless undead himself. I shuddered at the thought. No matter how annoying Mike could be sometimes, he was still my friend and I wouldn't wish this fate, or rather curse, on anyone.

"I want to patrol, too," I suddenly declared, without even thinking about it.

Edward's arms immediately tightened around me. "No, Bella," he whispered. "You don't need to do that. Faith and the pack have everything under control. You only need to concentrate on the battle tomorrow night."

"But it's my town," I protested. "I have to protect it. I have to protect my friends and Charlie. God, Charlie's out there, probably hunting the _animal_ that attacked Mike. He will stand no chance against a vampire!"

"And that's exactly, why you have to stay here, or better, at your home. Charlie and the other townsfolk can't see you walk through Forks in the middle of the night, when they think that a dangerous animal is on the loose." Edward's eyes were pleading with me to stay and not to do anything rash or stupid.

"We will watch out for your dad, Bella," Vi promised. "Nothing will happen to him or to anyone else in Forks."

I looked at my family and my new friends for a long moment, before I eventually nodded, resigned. At the same moment, I felt Edward relax behind me. "Alright, I'll stay home. But you will call me the minute something happens."

"We promise, little B," Faith said smirking. "And while you're home, you make sure that your dad doesn't invite any strangers into his house. The wolves should also make sure that this is the case in La Push."

They immediately went back to planning and talking tactics, while I kept out of it. I still didn't like it that I had to stay home while they were patrolling, even more now because I was a Slayer, too, and so it was also my responsibility to make sure that Forks was save. But in a way, I could understand them. What would the people think, if they saw me wander through the town in the middle of the night? Maybe even while I was holding onto a stake, a sword or even the Scythe. No, that wouldn't be good.

I don't know how long I was sitting there, hearing what they were saying, but not really listening, until Edward suddenly squeezed my hand and looked at me worriedly. "Are you alright, Bella?"

This was most likely one of the stupidest questions Edward could have asked, but I couldn't be annoyed with him. Instead of a snarky comeback, I just said, "I'll be fine." I didn't even lie, because it might take me some more hours to get over the fact that demonic vampires had attacked my friend, but in the end, I knew I would be fine. And I also knew that my Sister-Slayers would do their best to keep something like this from happening again and to protect my town.

As it seemed, my fairy tale was over now. Reality had me back.


	21. Countdown

**A/N: Here it is! Another new chapter! And we're getting steadily closer to the end… the battle is getting nearer and nearer…**

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**Chapter 20: Countdown**

The Scoobies and Jake had just decided on how exactly they would share patrol duty here in Forks, when I noticed that Alice's eyes glazed over for a split second. I wondered what she could have seen, as there weren't many possibilities with the wolves being around a lot more often in the past few weeks. So I was surprised, when she suddenly looked at me and Edward.

"You have to go home now, Bella. Charlie will be home in a few minutes and he will be worried about you, when you're not there."

But I didn't have the chance to answer – as a matter of fact, I was still kind of shell-shocked by the attack on Mike – as Edward was already on his feet. I just managed to wave at the gathered group, while Edward was quickly explaining that we would be back as soon as possible for training, before I was again on his back and we were speeding through the forests surrounding and in Forks.

I just closed my eyes against his back, even though seeing the greenery pass by no longer made me feel dizzy, but I wanted to try to go back, to go back to the dream world I had lived in these past one and a half days. A world where I was with Edward, only with him, where everything was perfect, where there was no threat, no attacks, where Mike was at home, making out with Jessica or playing videogames with Eric and Tyler, instead of lying in the hospital.

I couldn't go back, however. The threat of the Volturi, the vampires and the demons was nearer than just two nights ago, when Edward and I had spoken our vows. Tomorrow night, we would be fighting for our lives, and last night, this fight had begun.

"We're there," Edward whispered softly.

I opened my eyes and realized with a start that we were indeed standing in the middle of my bedroom. My bed still looked unmade, with my pajamas just carelessly thrown over the blanket. I let myself slide to the ground, no longer surprised that I wasn't in any danger of falling over, and then asked, "When is Charlie going to be here?"

"In about five minutes…"

I only nodded and began to gather some clothes, feeling Edward's eyes on me all the time. I knew he must be worried – hell, I would be, if he were behaving as I was doing it now – but I couldn't bring myself to reassure him, again, that I would be fine. What I needed now was some time for myself to think, and the best place to do this was under the spray of a hot shower. (Although I now also knew what else one could do under a shower.) Normally, I would have blushed at this thought, but today some things seemed to be different. "I'm going to take a shower. Please go downstairs and wait for me. Tell Charlie that you came here to tell me about Mike, if he asks."

Of course Charlie would ask, what Edward was doing at his house this early in the morning.

The worry shone deeply in his golden eyes, as Edward gently turned me to face him and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I really hoped that he understood my need for being alone right now and that I wasn't hurting him too badly with this. (Go me! We were only married for one day and already I was hurting him again!) "I'll wait for you," he murmured, before he was suddenly gone.

I took a deep shaky breath, clutching my clothes to my chest, before I went into the bathroom. It would still take some time for me to get used to the new interior, all the light colors and the luxurious shower cubicle, but this morning I decided that I would try out all what all the buttons and knobs were made for. This might be the last chance I would ever have to do that. With a wry grin on my face, I wondered if Charlie had already bothered to try out the things that were new, when I stepped under the hot spray.

I played around for a bit, letting the water rain down on my in different forms and with different pressures and I played with the temperature until the water was so hot that it was really nice. When everything was perfect, and I had begun to lather my hair with my favorite shampoo, first then I allowed my mind to wander.

While I had known that the looming threat of the Volturi had been there the whole time and that the day of the battle was drawing nearer, I hadn't wanted to realize that it was already so close. Until today. This morning. Even if I hadn't wanted to realize it, there was no chance not to. Not anymore. The attack on Mike had brought back the thoughts that I had to successfully pushed away.

I guess people were right, when they said that denial wasn't just a river in Egypt.

I had been in denial, but I wasn't any longer. I couldn't be in denial any longer. The threat of the Volturi wasn't just imminent anymore – it was there. Here. In Forks.

And I felt as if I wasn't prepared at all. Sure, I had trained hard and I had become a fairly competent Slayer – though with almost no experience on the Slaying part -, but nothing had prepared me for how I would suddenly feel, when one of my friends were attacked, how I would feel, when innocents were attacked.

I might be physically strong, thanks to my Calling as a Slayer, but was I also strong enough in other ways? Would I be able to stay emotionally detached, while fighting evil, being able to regard the death of innocents just as collateral damage? Could I bear it, if, in the battle tomorrow, other Slayers died or one of the Scoobies? I had already been so worried about my family and the wolves in the fight against Victoria's newborn army. I had been so devastated, when Jake had been hurt. So how would I react, if something bad happened to one of the many new friends I had made in the past few weeks?

_Snap out of it!_

I stared at myself in the mirror. I hadn't even realized that I had stepped out from under the shower, had dried myself off and gotten dressed again, while I had been lost so deeply in my thoughts. The gaze that met me was hard and unyielding.

_You're a Slayer_, I berated myself further. _You're made of stronger stuff than this! You can do this and you will do this!_

It was time to stop moping, time to stop wallowing in self-pity and self-doubts. This was life. It was hard and cruel at the moment, but it was real. If I gave up now, if I allowed my worries and fear to overwhelm me, I had lost.

So, what I needed now was a plan of what to do next. And this plan came faster to me than I had thought.

After I had dried my hair and secured it in a pony tail, I went downstairs, biting my lips. I knew I had kept Edward waiting and Charlie must be long home by now. And I was right – they were both sitting at the kitchen table, not talking. I frowned lightly, when I realized that the tension between Charlie and Edward would probably never fully disappear – not even if they had eternity.

Edward's worried eyes immediately rose to meet mine, when he heard me enter the kitchen. I gave him a reassured smile, hoping to alleviate his worries a bit. After all, I was fine now. I deliberately tripped the last step, so that Charlie would hear me, too, and he also turned around. There was a careful smile on his face, as he stood up.

"Hey dad," I greeted him with a small smile.

He was nervously wringing his hands, as he stepped up to me. "Hey Bells… So, Edward's already told you about…"

"Yeah… Carlisle's told him and Edward immediately came over to tell me… I hope you didn't mind."

"Of course not…" Charlie mumbled slightly embarrassed. "I was at the hospital until right before I came back here and talked to Mike. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything. And the two girls who found him could only give me a vague description of the animal. I just hope that it isn't again one of those gigantic wolves from last spring."

"It's not them," I said at once, without thinking, but upon Charlie's confused and also slightly suspicious look, I quickly added, "I mean… You know that I saw one of those wolves and… they were so huge and I think… if one of them had attacked Mike, he wouldn't be…"

Charlie awkwardly grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it tightly. "You might be right… But whatever it is, I promise that we won't rest until we've found and killed it. And that's why I will also leave again now. I won't be back until late tonight, not before midnight, I'm sure. After that, some other officers will take over so that I can get your mother and Phil from Seattle tomorrow."

"Okay…" I had been worried for a moment that Charlie wouldn't leave Forks on the night of the battle. "Be careful, dad."

"I'll be. But promise me something, Bella." I nodded, already guessing where he was going with this. "Don't go wandering in the woods and don't go anywhere alone. The best would be, if you just stayed inside until we've found whatever did this."

"Don't worry, dad. I'll either be here, at the Cullens' or in my car," I promised. "Oh, and I want to visit Mike. I want to make sure that he's alright."

"Of course, Bella. That's a good idea. I think Mike will be happy to see you. And don't wait up for me tonight."

Charlie squeezed my shoulder one more time, then nodded at Edward and left the house again. I waited until his cruiser was gone before I hurried towards Edward, who had gotten to his feet, and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I hurt you again."

"Oh, my sweet Bella," he breathed, tickling my ear. "You don't have to apologize for this. We are all under a lot of pressure, so I understand."

I sighed against his chest, letting him hold me for a moment. I drew strength from him, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall, wanting to hold onto the decisions I had made not even ten minutes ago. I was a Slayer, I needed to be strong. I could do this. However, this was again one of the moments when I thought that I didn't deserve him, but the weight of the ring against my chest reminded me of the fact that he was mine, and mine to keep.

Wishing that we could stay like this forever, I buried my face a bit deeper in his chest, inhaling his unique scent that always comforted me. But the truth was that we couldn't stay like this forever, and Edward seemed to know this, too, as just a short moment later, he gently pulled away. He pressed his cools lips first against my forehead and then against my lips, before he took my hand and said, "Let's go visit Mike Newton."

I allowed a grin on my face, when I saw the grimace on his. I punched him playfully in the arm, grateful that he tried to lighten the mood. "Don't tell me you're still jealous, Edward Cullen! Don't forget, I'm a married woman now and I would never betray my husband."

My knees became week, when Edward smiled crookedly at me – that he still had this effect on me, to render me helpless with just one of his dazzling smiles! "But _he_ doesn't know that. And you are again very beautiful today, my Bella."

I raised my eyebrows. Beautiful? Today? I hadn't gotten enough sleep, been in shock for most of the morning, was now wearing a boring T-shirt and even more boring jeans. Yeah, right! But I also knew that I wouldn't be able to convince Edward of this, so I just suggested, "Maybe I should wear my ring to the hospital, to show him that I'm not available any longer."

"You are a cruel woman, Isabella Swan!" Edward teased me. "But a big part of me wouldn't be opposed to the idea. You need to show other men that you're… off limits."

I had just regained control over my knees, when the smoldering look that Edward gave me at this very moment again reduced them to pudding.

I didn't wear the ring to the hospital. It was still safely hidden under my T-shirt on the necklace around my neck. Not only would it be cruel to Mike, as Edward had pointed it, and would probably give him a heart attack, but with Jessica being his girlfriend (at least I thought they were together again) the news of my marriage to Edward would spread around Forks like a wildfire. Which we didn't want to happen, of course.

After I had asked the nurse at the desk, which room Mike was lying in, Edward and I were walking through the hospital corridors. I noticed immediately that Edward seemed to be a bit more tense than outside and squeezed his hand reassuringly. After all, I wasn't feeling too well either – though I spent so much time in a hospital didn't mean I liked it there, because it smelled either of disinfectants or blood or both. This time, it was a strange mix, but the smell of blood was still potent enough that I noticed it. And when I smelled it, I was sure that Edward must be bombarded by the smell. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered and smiled at me reassuringly. Seeing as his eyes were still golden, I wasn't worried and believed him.

We reached Mike's room just a minute later. Though there were two beds in his room, his was the only one occupied. Mike was awake, watching some basketball game on TV. His head turned slightly, when he heard the door open, and I could see the pain that it caused him in his eyes. However, the wide smile that lit up his face immediately calmed me a bit.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, surprised and obviously happy to see me. However, when he saw who entered the room behind me, the smile wasn't as wide anymore. "Cullen."

"Newton."

Rolling my eyes at their antics, I let go off Edward's hand and sat down in the chair next to Mike's bed. Edward, even though it was obvious that he wanted to stay close to me, opted to lean against the wall where he could watch Mike's and my interaction closely.

"How are you feeling?" I asked carefully, glancing to the gauze that was covering a part of his neck, where the _animal_ had bitten him.

He laughed lightly, and even that seemed to cause him pain. "Like shit, but at least I'm not dead."

"That's good to hear… I mean, not that you feel like shit, but that you're not dead. And Carlisle told me that you might be released in just a few days!" I babbled, not sure how to broach what I actually wanted to ask him. I mean, I had of course come to the hospital to see how Mike was doing and to keep him some company for a few minutes, but this wasn't the only reason.

"Yeah, the doc told me that, too," Mike replied. "So, don't worry your pretty head over me, Bella. I'll be as good as new in a few days."

"Now, that's good news." I bit my lower lip, hesitating for a moment. "Listen Mike… Do you remember anything of what happened last night?"

"Channeling your dad, huh?" Mike teased me, but then quickly became serious again. Behind me, I almost felt Edward react to whatever was going through Mike's mind, and it only proved my theory. "I've already told your dad that I don't remember much … And the two girls that saved me said that it was an animal…"

He trailed off, looking unsure, and I used the opening to ask, "Was it?"

"I…" He lowered his eyes lightly, obviously embarrassed.

"Come on, Mike… it's me… whatever it is, you can tell me, and I promise that I won't tell my dad. And neither will Edward."

Mike still looked unsure, his eyes darting back and forth between Edward and me, until they finally settled again on me. "It sounds crazy, but I could have sworn that there was a man. He stopped me, as I was walking home from the party, asking me for a lighter for his cigarette. I had one on me, so I looked down, as I pulled it out of my pocket, but when I looked up again, his face…it had changed. His eyes were suddenly yellow, his forehead was disfigured and… he had fangs!"

Mike was shaking his head slightly, as if he really couldn't believe that it had happened. But I had been right, my theory had been proven. Mike remembered. Forks wasn't Sunnydale. The people of Forks would never be as good at repressing those occurrences as the people of Sunnydale apparently had been. Attacked by a puppy, fallen on a fork and, my personal favorite, the gangs on PCP, which had appeared to be one of the most used excuses in Sunnydale.

"What happened then, Mike?" I gently urged him on, taking one of his hands in mine to comfort him. Much to Edward's dismay – I heard him growl quietly behind me. But Mike needed this right now. It couldn't be easy for him to tell this story, especially as he thought that it was crazy, but once he has told it once, I was sure it would be off his chest and he wouldn't worry about it anymore. At least I hoped it.

"I tried to run away… But he… it just wasn't natural. He jumped over me, pushed me to the ground and then bit me." His hand wandered to the wound, which was covered by the gauze. "He drank my blood… and then I woke up here… You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

I shook my head as I told him, "No, Mike. I don't think you're crazy. I believe you. And I promise again, that we won't tell anyone."

"Thanks, Bella," Mike said, and the relief was clear in his voice. "For believing me. You know, I've never believed in vampires…"

I smiled at him, as I let go off his hand and returned to Edward's side. "Me neither."

Waving at Mike and telling him to get well soon, Edward and I left the room again. However, once we were back inside the car, Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "What was that about?"

"Mike needed to talk about it," I said without hesitating. "I knew that he wouldn't tell my dad or anyone else, if he remembered, so I just had to ask him. I knew he would tell a friend. And now he doesn't think anymore that he is crazy."

"But now he knows about vampires," Edward countered.

"At least I didn't try to convince him that he had hit his head and was imagining things!" The moment those words escaped my mouth, I knew I had made a mistake. I had hurt Edward again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Edward sighed, but covered his hand with mine. "It's okay… As I said, we're all under a lot of pressure now. This sometimes makes us say things that we don't mean."

"You're really too good for me," I whispered, staring at the dashboard, ashamed by my behavior.

"I just love you…"

"And I love you…"

Edward leaned over to me and kissed me lightly. When he pulled away, he whispered, "More of this later tonight…"

I grinned at him. "I'll hold you to that." Then, after a beat I admitted, "And about Mike. Maybe you're right, maybe him knowing about the existence of vampires and other supernatural beings isn't for the best. I'll talk to Willow, maybe she can do something about it."

At first, when I talked to Willow about my little problem, she was quite vocal about not erasing other people's memories, because this was bad with a capital B. Dawn explained the story of the Tabula Rasa spell to me later, but after a long discussion with Willow and Giles we decided that it was too dangerous to let Mike live with this knowledge.

While I still believed that it had been right for him to talk about this to someone who would understand, I had now also basically giving away my secret and maybe the secret of the Cullens, putting Mike in even more danger than before. And besides, Giles pointed out that Mike might now be looking over his shoulder all the time whenever he went out after dark.

Eventually even Willow agreed to use a spell, not to erase Mike's memories, but to tweak them a bit. Just like in Men In Black. She and Giles would immediately go to the hospital, while I went to the other Slayers for some more training. They had come back not even one hour later, declaring that everything was taken care of. Willow giggled, when she told us that Mike had already expected someone to wipe his memory ("Will you do the flashy thing, now?" he had asked her). Now he only remembered that it had really been some kind of animal, even though he hadn't been able to see what exactly in the darkness – something like a fox or maybe a dog? No yellow eyes, no blood sucking, no vampire.

Training that day was extra hard – both the physical hand-to-hand and weapon training and my shield-training-, because it was the last day we would train. Tomorrow, Faith ordered, we needed to relax so that we would be fresh and ready come nightfall. I felt a bit jittery about this, seeing as I didn't think I had trained enough, but Faith made us all promise that we wouldn't do anything Slayer related until we went to the clearing before dusk.

Giles had even organized that a group of Slayers from London, led by Kennedy, would patrol Forks while we were resting for the battle. According to his reports, she hadn't been happy to babysit a town like Forks while we were having all the fun on the battlefield.

However, once the day was over, I had to admit that I was fairly satisfied with what I had accomplished. Working the shield had been easier than it had been before and I was sure that I could use it quickly, as long as I touched the person I wanted to protect. And also the physical side of the training hadn't been too bad. I had managed to hold my own against some of the other Slayers and Faith hadn't criticized me as much as she used to do. She had only said – with a pointed look at Edward - that she regretted that I didn't have the chance to gather more experience out in the real world.

Edward drove me home again after we all had pizza at the Cullens' house. Charlie had called me during dinner, to check on me. He hadn't found whatever had attacked Mike, but he assured me that they wouldn't give up. I wished I could just tell Charlie that the being that had attacked Mike was already dead and that he should come home, but I didn't know how I would explain that.

How would Charlie react, if I told him about the world of Slayers and vampires and other demons?

Now that I thought of this, I realized that my father might just be the man who, while not taking it in a stride, might accept that world.

It was late, past ten o'clock, when Edward pulled the Volvo into the driveway of Charlie's house (Alice had promised that she would bring the car back to the Cullen's house before Charlie came home). There was no light in the house, so Charlie was really still out there. Rubbing my arms and looking around warily, I got out of the car. There had been no more demon or vampire reports, but this didn't mean that they weren't out there. With Charlie.

"Your dad will be okay," Edward reassured me, as he took my hand. "You know that one of us will watch over him all the time."

"I know…" I answered, absentmindedly gazing into the darkness between the trees. My senses told me that the only vampire here was Edward and his presence was a comforting one. I could now identify each of the Cullens and the Denalis by their tingle and my spider sense knew that they weren't dangerous. "Let's go inside…"

I locked the door behind me, well knowing that normal vampires couldn't get inside and that demons wouldn't be bothered by a lock, but as long as Edward was by my side, I didn't want and didn't need to worry. However, what about all the other homes in Forks that could be threatened by demons? They didn't have the protections of their very own personal super vamp bodyguards. And while the Slayers were patrolling Forks, they couldn't be everywhere at the same time.

I knew that there probably weren't many demons and vampires that had decided to arrive in Forks early tonight, but what about tomorrow night? The town could be swarming with demons! What authority did the Volturi have over those demons? Could they control them as effectively as their own vampires? Or would those demons run free and slaughter everyone in town? The army of demons in my vision was so big! There was no way that we could win and protect Forks!

I shuddered and immediately felt Edward's arms around me. "Bella… what's wrong?"

"It isn't enough," I mumbled. "We can't win."

"You're wrong," Edward said forcefully, taking my chin into his hand and pulling my head up so that I had to look into his stormy eyes. "As long as we believe in it, we still have a chance. But not if you have already given up!"

"Then give me the strength to believe in it," I pleaded. "Because as it is now, I can only think of how we would lose and how many would die. Please, help me not to think those dark thoughts. Please, make me forget them!"

"As you wish," Edward only promised and then kissed me. I don't know how we got into my bedroom, or how we ended up on my bed without clothes, but Edward kept his promise – I forgot all my worries and all the dark thoughts that night.

I awoke at half past ten the next morning – Edward apparently had decided to let me sleep in after he had positively worn me out last night – and immediately thought that it would only be twelve more hours until sunset.

"Don't frown," Edward whispered behind me, tickling my ear. "I won't allow you to return to those dark thoughts of last night."

"Then distract me," I whispered back, my mouth seeking his. Edward returned my kiss eagerly, but just for a moment, until he pulled away, leaving me pouting.

"I need to leave. The clouds will fully disappear in the next ten minutes and I need to hunt before tonight. And you should spend some more time with Charlie before he leaves for Seattle. When he's gone, I'll come for you and we will spend the afternoon together until we have to go to the clearing." Edward's voice was still low, his fingers trailing along my arm, which left goosebumps in their wake.

I really, really didn't want to leave his arms, but I knew that this was necessary. "Where will we go this afternoon?"

I could hear the smirk in his voice, as he replied, kissing my neck, "It's a surprise…"

Trying to suppress a moan, I complained, "You're not making this any easier on me…"

"Well, you're just too delicious. I just can't seem to stop tasting you."

"Then don't stop…" I begged, but then he was suddenly gone and only a second later, I heard a knock on my door.

"Bella, are you awake?"

I groaned, wanting Charlie to go away and Edward to come back. "Yeah, I'm awake!"

For a moment I feared that he would open the door and see that I was completely and utterly naked under the blanket, but instead he just mumbled something about making sure that I was still alive and that he was making breakfast.

When I heard the word breakfast, I almost panicked. Charlie and cooking? Not so good! He and Dawn together would probably manage to set a house on fire while preparing a meal. So with a sudden burst of motivation, I jumped out of my bed, quickly got dressed in some underwear and disappeared in the bathroom, where I took a quick shower.

Once I came downstairs, I was more than just relieved to see that Charlie's idea of making breakfast consisted of putting a bowl on the table where I was usually seating, along with a spoon, some milk and my favorite cereals. He was smirking openly, when he saw the expression on my face.

"I knew I'd get you out of bed with this comment."

"Har har, very funny, dad," I muttered, taking my seat and filling the bowl with cereals and milk. "When did you get home last night? I didn't hear you."

"Sometime between one and two o'clock I think." He yawned, as if to prove the point that he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. I felt bad that he would have to drive all the way to Seattle today, but this was truly the best chance to get him out of town.

"Did you catch the animal?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, we didn't see anything… except for…"

He trailed off, looking at me with a calculating and at the same time hesitant look on his face. Somehow, I felt exposed, vulnerable, by this scrutinizing look. It felt as if Charlie was looking directly through me, seeing things he wasn't supposed to see, making connections he wasn't supposed to make. Only, which of all the secrets I kept was it?

"What?" I asked, lowering my head and trying to concentrate on the cereals.

"Bella…" Charlie began slowly. "You know that you can tell me everything, right?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to downplay his concerns, for both our sakes. "Of course, dad. And if there's something I think I need to talk to you about, I'll do it. You know that."

Again Charlie looked at me, right through me. This wasn't my dad in front of me. This was Chief Swan. There was a reason why he had become Chief of Police and I suddenly remembered, what it was. Edward always told me that I was very perceptive and that I got this perceptiveness from my mother. But I think he was wrong. I got it from my dad. He might be calmer and not as vocal about the things he thought – and his thoughts themselves were not that clear to Edward either – but he had a good eye for details and saw connections where many wouldn't see them.

"Dad?"

He cleared his throat. "Bella, let me be honest with you. I believe there are some things that you are keeping from me. Important, life-alerting things. Something is going on in Forks, and somehow I believe that you are right in the middle of it. All those girls that suddenly appeared in town and in La Push, they all belong to that school that you were accepted into, right?"

I only nodded, not seeing the sense in keeping this from him. After all, Willow, Xander and Dawn had often been seen with these girls – both in Forks and in La Push.

"I've seen those girls walk around town in the past few weeks, mostly in the evenings, but yesterday I saw them also during the day, always walking around in groups of two. Normally, I wouldn't think it unusual, but it was how they were walking around. Almost as if they were looking for something… No, that's not quite the right word. They were alert, almost as if they were on watch for something. And it wasn't just during the day. We also encountered other girls again last night, after dark. My colleagues and I told them that it would be best if they just went home, but they ignored our advice and continued to walk around. It seemed to me, as if they were on patrol, just like we were."

Swallowing hard, I tried to keep my focus on my cereals, but with Chief Swan's eyes resting on me like that, it wasn't that easy. "Really?" I only asked, hoping that my voice wasn't shaking as much as I thought it was. I chanced a short glance at my father, hoping to avert his suspicions, as I mumbled, "Wonder what they were doing…"

"No, you don't," Charlie declared, his voice quiet. I could hear the disappointment in his voice and immediately felt bad about it.

I hated lying to Charlie, I hated keeping all those important parts in my life from him. Really, wouldn't it be best, if a demon just now barged into our kitchen, forcing me to kill it and letting the cat out of the bag? Wasn't this how Buffy's and Dawn's mom had found out about her daughter being the Slayer?

"Bella, I don't know why, but I know that you're lying to me and that you've been doing this for quite some time already. You've never been a good liar, Bells. I also know that all this time you've been spending over at the Cullens' house isn't because of the wedding. I've talked to your mom and she said that everything has been ready and organized for the past few weeks and that she hasn't heard anything new from Esme for about the same time."

Having now fully abandoned any attempts to eat my breakfast, I stared at the table, at the marks I had left on Willow's and Xander's first visit. Would it really be so bad to tell Charlie the truth? Hadn't I decided yesterday that he would be able to take it? And didn't the New Council allow their Slayers to tell their families about their Calling? But should I tell Charlie now? Only hours before I would head into battle? No, I couldn't do that to him. And he would only try to keep me back, safe at home… No, I couldn't tell him, at least not today.

"Now, normally I'd assume that you'd use all this time over at the Cullens' to do things with Edward I'd rather not think about, but with all those girls here, and the way they behave… And with Mr. Harris and Miss Rosenberg also still being here… Weeks after they had offered you a place at their school. No normal school would try that hard to convince a potential student. No, I know that something else is at work here, Bells. And I know that you know all about it."

Working up all my courage, I looked up and directly into my father's eyes. I saw his fatherly love and worry shining in his eyes. He was really concerned about me, something which he had tried to tell me through all the words he had said in the past fifteen minutes. In those fifteen minutes, my taciturn father had probably said more than in the eighteen months I had lived with him. In the end, it was this that made me admit, "You're right."

With these words, all the tension in his body disappeared. Maybe he hadn't been as sure in his claims as he had appeared to be. But Chief Swan was gone now, fully replaced by the man that was my father. "Can you tell me, what's going on?"

I opened my mouth, wanting to answer his question, but quickly closed it again. I wanted to, I really did, but now wasn't the right time and place. I didn't want him to worry about me more than he already did, and he would go crazy with worry, if I told him that I was going to head into a fight for my life tonight.

"You don't need to tell me right now," Charlie said a bit uneasily. It was astonishing, how different the two men were – Chief Swan and my father Charlie. "Maybe tomorrow… or any other day before the wedding? I'm just worried about you, Bells. And I think that it might be good for you to talk about everything with someone who isn't as involved in this as you, those girls and even the Cullens are. So, just… think about it, okay?"

Charlie rose from his chair, heading for the living room. However, I couldn't just let him go like that. So, before he left, I quickly said, "Dad? I promise, I'll tell you everything before the wedding."

He smiled softly, relieved. "Thanks, Bells…"

A part of me wanted to go with Charlie to the living room, to spend some more time with him, even if we were just watching TV without saying anything to each other. But before I could do that, I went back to my room, took a white sheet from my printer, a ballpoint pen and began to write a letter for Charlie. In this letter, I explained everything, about the Slayer, vampires and other supernatural things that I had encountered in my life until now. I explained about the battle, the Volturi and the Cullens' involvement in this, while also begging him not to tell anyone about all this. I told him how dangerous this knowledge was and apologized for not telling him sooner.

Then, when I was done, I put the letter into an envelope and hid it in one of the drawers in my room, a letter which explained everything I probably wouldn't be able to tell him after tonight. I hoped that he would find it soon, if I died. First, when I had hidden the letter, I went downstairs again and joined Charlie in the living room, spending what would most likely be the last hours in my life with my father.

Charlie left for Seattle shortly after lunch, leaving me alone in the house, but not for long. Because just a few minutes after Charlie's cruiser had left, Edward's Volvo pulled into the driveway. Knowing that Edward wouldn't be able to get out of the car with the sun shining as brightly as it did, I quickly grabbed my purse, locked the door behind me and nearly skipped to his car.

"Where are we going?" I asked eagerly, pushing those dark thoughts from my mind, as fastened my seatbelt.

Edward smiled my favorite crooked smile, as he started the car. "Haven't you guessed, yet?"

Out of the corners of my eyes, I spotted a picnic basket on the backseat, the very same picnic basket that Edward had already brought once to… "The meadow?"

"Where else would I want to spend this beautiful day with you? It will be almost like our first trip there, when everything for us began…"

We spent a lovely afternoon in our meadow. The sunlight transformed it once again in the magical place from my memory, especially with my sparkling husband lying next to me, feeding me with delicious fruits, chocolate and other treats. We talked, we kissed, we cuddled or just lay next to each other. All in all, this was the most perfect afternoon I could have on what was most likely the last day of my life.

However, all too soon it was time to leave again. We returned to the Cullens' house, where all the Slayers and wolves were gathered now. While we were gone, Dawn had gone to London to get some more weapons, which she and Andrew – of whom Dawn had already told me so many funny things – had brought to the Cullens' house. I was a bit disappointed that I had missed him, but from what Emmett told us, he had been simply hilarious.

As soon as we stepped into the house, Alice snatched me from Edward's side and showed me what I would wear tonight. I wanted to complain, say that what I was wearing – loose jeans, sneakers and T-shirt – were perfectly suited for the battle, but she wouldn't hear any of it anyway, so I just kept my mouth shut and let her dress me in black workout pants and a blue sports T-shirt. At least I could keep my comfortable sneakers. But Alice didn't stop at this, as she also braided my hair and put it up with a hair clip, so that it wouldn't get in the way. At least of all the things she did to me, this one made sense.

When we came back downstairs, I saw that the rest of the Cullens and even the Denali vampires were dressed similarly. Only the Slayers were dressed in normal clothes. At first, when Xander had told me that Buffy had gone down into the Hellmouth in high-heeled boots, I hadn't wanted to believe him, but now as I saw the other girls with my own eyes, I finally did. Being comfortable didn't seem to matter to them, but being fashionable obviously did. I could only shake my head.

Outside, Xander began to distribute the weapons. I got the Scythe, as promised, along with some knives, stakes and a short sword, which I had to strap on my back. With all those weapons stored on my body – I had first noticed now all those different kinds of secret holders that Alice had hidden in my clothes for the weapons – I felt a bit like Lara Croft. After I was done and began looking around, I was surprised to see that even the vampires were wearing different weapons on their body – Emmett for example had this nifty broadsword that looked as if it could easily cut the biggest demons in half.

Then suddenly, the Scoobies were standing before us – Giles, Faith, Willow, Xander and Dawn – and we Slayers, Denalis and Cullens were gathered around them in a loose half-circle. Giles stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"In just a few minutes, we will head to the clearing where we will battle the Volturi and their army. It will be a hard fight, brutal and probably deadly. Think about what consequences this battle might have for you – you could be injured or worse, even die. It is very likely that not all of us will return. So, if anyone has doubts, you have now the last chance to back out. Believe me when I say that no one will think less of you because of this."

I didn't want to look around to see, if there was anyone who didn't want to fight. But seeing as no one spoke up, I guessed that everyone was here to stay. I didn't know, if I should be happy about this, or not.

"Actually, Giles," Faith suddenly spoke up. She and Dawn exchanged a quick look, and then I noticed the beginnings of a portal directly behind Giles. "We've decided that you should sit this one out."

"I-I beg your pardon?" Giles spluttered, obviously surprised.

However, Faith only smirked at him, as Xander explained, "Yeah, with you being Head Watcher and all, we didn't think it would be a good idea for you to be a part of this fight."

"B-but…"

"Sorry, Giles," Willow only mumbled with a sheepish grin, as she waved her hand and then suddenly, Giles was pushed backwards through the portal by an invisible force. The second he was through, the portal closed again. Faith and Dawn high-fived each other.

"Where did you send him?" I asked, stunned.

Dawn was grinning widely, as she told us, "Venice… We thought with the Volturi being here, Italy might be the safest place. And besides, it's far enough away so that Giles won't be back before the battle is over."

A couple of Slayers giggled and even I couldn't suppress a grin.

"Alright, Slayers," Faith called out. "Get to your assigned vampire, wolf or car! We're heading for the clearing now!"

The Slayers dispersed and I found myself on Edward's back. All of the vampires, even Jasper, were sporting a similar _package_ on their backs, as did the wolves. Some of them were even carrying two Slayers on their back. The rest of the Slayers were crowded in Emmett's jeep. And then, we were off.

We all arrived at the clearing roughly at the same time, with the jeep being only a few minutes later. A bit more than a half-hour until the sun would set and now the only thing we could do was wait. I sat down on a spot, from where I could watch over the clearing. Edward was sitting behind me, cradling me against his chest.

"Everything will be okay," Edward mumbled into my ear.

"I hope you're right," I only replied.

"I have to be right, because I still don't think that there can be a world without you. Bella," Edward added imploringly, "the Volturi will stop and listen. We will be able to explain. They will have no reason to attack us. And when this night is over, we can go back to our normal lives and then we can get married…. again…" He said the last word in the quietest of whispers, so that I was sure that not even his family could have heard it.

I really, really wanted to agree with him, but I wasn't as sure about this as he claimed to be. The Volturi had come to acquire and if I remembered Aro correctly, he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. But, I had to remind myself, as I forced my thoughts to be of a more positive nature, we had the Cullens and the Denalis with their powers, we had the wolves, Slayers and a witch. This had to count for something, right?

But if we really had to fight, and if we lost, I only hoped that we would take as many of Aro's guard down with us as they would take of ours.

Time passed and before I knew it, the sun was so low at the sky that it was close to disappearing. Without talking, we all got into formation. Edward and I stood in the middle, with his whole family to the left, the Scoobies to the right and the wolves and Slayers behind us all.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest and, most-likely alarmed by this, I noticed Edward's worried topaz colored eyes on me. I turned to him and tried to give him a reassuring smile. I must have failed, because his brows narrowed and he squeezed my hand, as if he wanted to encourage me.

I knew he'd rather have me hiding away, somewhere where they wouldn't be able to find me. But not this time. Tonight, I was going to fight at their side. It was what I had to do.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon and I wondered fleetingly, as I gazed into my husband's face, if this was the last time I saw the sunlight sparkle on his skin. I kept looking into his eyes, trying to memorize the loving look he gave me, until I could hear the growls in the distance.

I offered him one last smile, before I let go of his hand and turned my full attention to the danger ahead. I tightened the grip on the Scythe. It almost vibrated in my hands.

They were here.

It was time to fight.


	22. Faceoff

**A/N: We're almost there, almost at the end… And this is the chapter that hopefully everyone has been waiting for! The final confrontation with the Volturi – what will happen? Will they have to fight, or will they be able to solve this peacefully? Well, to find out, you'll just have to read this (extra-long) chapter!**

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Chapter 21: Face-off

Twilight.

The ending of another day, the return of the night.

And the beginning of the end.

My eyes were fixed on the dark crowd that was slowly but surely advancing towards us. No, crowd wasn't the right word. It was a perfect formation, seemingly hovering inches above the ground, moving in perfect synchronicity. The edges of the formation were a light grey, but the color was growing steadily darker until it was completely black in the middle. I couldn't see the faces - they were shrouded in the darkness of their hoods.

I was once again completely tense, watching the unstoppable force moving steadily closer towards us. My knuckles were turning white from clutching the Scythe and Edward's hand so tightly. Edward's hand squeezed back, reassuringly. I glanced up at him - his face looked like it was made out of stone, serious and determined. But his gaze softened slightly, when he met my eyes.

"Am I the only one who is reminded of the Nazgûl?"

I started at Xander's whispered question, as he broke the tense silence. Emmett's answering chuckle and his whispered, "And Aro's the Witch King." disturbed it once more. Obviously, Xander's question and Emmett's subsequent answer were supposed to be funny. I really wondered, how someone could still crack jokes - even though I didn't understand them - in a situation like this. But then again, I shouldn't forget that Xander had been fighting evil since he was sixteen years old and had helped Buffy to avert several apocalypses. Maybe that was the only way to deal with those situations.

The perfection of the Volturi's movements was suddenly disturbed, as the demons and soulless vampires emerged from the woods. They were the antithesis to the Volturi's discipline. The demons were chaotic, snarling, growling. A colorful mix of all kinds of demons - red, green, black, small, big, with horns, with tails… Bloodthirsty… It was easy to see that they were eager for a fight, frantic even. I wondered what the Volturi had promised them… Or did they just enjoy the fight and the kill themselves?

While I was watching their advance, I couldn't help but count. There was a large number of demons, too many to count, but there were twenty guards in addition to Aro, Caius and Marcus. We only had eleven vampires, ten wolves and about thirty Slayers. I feared that this wasn't enough to stand a chance against this huge army in front of us.

At some sign, the formation folded outwards; the gray-cloaked guards spread to the flanks, opening the way for the black cloaked figures in the middle, who continued to slowly glide forwards. There was really no hurry in their progress, no tension, no anxiety. None of the feelings that I was feeling. It was obvious that the Volturi believed in their invincibility.

"Now, that's what I call a challenge," Faith mumbled next to me, cracking her knuckles. I stared at her in disbelief. She was actually looking eager for the confrontation. As a matter of fact, now that I looked around, all the Slayers did. They were grinning in anticipation, some of them twirling stakes in their hands, looking completely relaxed – the exact opposite of what I was feeling.

"We were right," Edward murmured to Carlisle.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle replied in low tones, as I glanced at them questioningly.

Speaking so quietly that only our side could hear it, Edward explained, "They - Aro and Caius - come to destroy and acquire. They have many layers of strategy already in place. If the information about Bella being the Slayer was somehow proven false, they were committed to find another reason to take offense. But they can see Bella and the other girls, they can see the Scythe, the famous weapon that has made all the girls into Slayers, so they are sure that the other strategies won't be necessary. They are not planning on stopping."

Carlisle lowered his head lightly - this news had obviously hurt him - and Esme grabbed his hand comfortingly, while the remaining vampires from our side hissed so quietly that the Volturi would never hear it. Jacob gave a strange little huff.

And then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the Volturi did stop. It was as if they had frozen about fifty yards from us - not one muscle was moved. They were perfectly still.

I couldn't believe it. Why were they stopping now? Would we now have our chance to explain, to tell them that we knew about the dangers, that Eleazar had told us everything about Francesca and the rules regarding the Slayer?

However, just a second later, I knew why the Volturi had stopped. Instead of staying behind us, the wolves and Slayers had moved to our flanks. It was quite impressive - the gigantic wolves, as tall as horses on one side, and the Slayers, girls armed to their teeth, on the other side.

So many friends that we had on our side, so many warriors willing to fight for us, and so many people, children, boys and girls were going to die. How could I let this happen? How could the Scoobies, how could Sam let this happen? They all knew how this fight would end. Even if we, by some miracle, won, it wouldn't be without losses.

The faces of the Volturi were still partly hidden underneath their hoods, but from what I could see, they were still expressionless for the most part. Only two of the vultures betrayed something that could be counted as emotions. Standing in the center of the front line, Aro was touching the hands of Marcus and Caius, communicating silently with them, though it seemed to me as if the only active parts in this conversation were Aro and Caius - Marcus looked again utterly bored, his face nearly as blank as those of the guard. Said guard was standing silently behind them, waiting for the order to kill.

Directly behind the three leaders, appearing to actually touch Aro, was a woman in a darker gray cloak - Renata, their shield. And it also didn't take me long to find the two petite, dark gray cloaks near the heart of the formation. Alec and Jane, the smallest and yet most dangerous members of the guard, were flanked by Demetri on one side and Felix on the other. Just as everyone else, their faces gave nothing away, though I swore I could feel Jane's eyes on me.

When we fought, I would have to take out her and Alec first, I decided, gripping the Scythe - the only weapon that could possibly hurt the Cold Ones - even tighter. They were the most important players in the guard and could do the most damage to their victims.

As the Volturi remained unmoving for another couple of seconds, I heard how Edward's breath quickened.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, low and anxious.

"They're not sure how to proceed. They are thinking about what to do now, choosing their targets - me, you, Jasper, Alice, Eleazar, Tanya… Bella…" Edward's breath hitched, as he glanced at me. "And even Faith. Marcus is trying to find weak points in our ties to each other. They're irritated by the large number of Slayers and wolves present. Not to forget the Red Witch who they've heard so much about."

Xander elbowed Willow in the rips, as he said teasingly, "See, you're even feared in Italy."

Willow flashed him a grin. "What can I say? Trying to end the world just makes you famous."

"Should I talk to them?" Carlisle wanted to know, ignoring Willow's and Xander's banter.

Edward hesitated for a split second, before he nodded. "Now is as good a time as any to do this. Probably our only chance."

Carlisle's face was determined, as he took a few step forwards, alone. I wanted to reach out to him, to pull him back to the line, but I knew that he had to do this, no matter how much I hated to see him there, alone, vulnerable. I really wished my shield were strong enough to protect him at this distance.

Raising his arms, his palms outward – apparently to show that he meant no harm – Carlisle said, loudly and clearly, "Aro, my friend. It's been a long time."

Everyone was dead silent for a long moment. Edward's face was again expressionless, but his whole body tensed as he listened to Aro's thoughts. I wondered, too, how Aro would react to Carlisle's words. Would he give the order to attack us, or would he allow us to speak?

The latter appeared to be the case, as Aro suddenly stepped forward. Renata, his shadow, was always right behind him, her fingers seemingly glued to Aro's back. Murmurs went through the guard at Aro's unexpected move. This was the first reaction I saw of them. A few members of the guard even leaned forward in a crouch, ready to attack us.

Aro, noticing the disturbances in his ranks, simply raised his hand, and his guard fell silent once more.

He took a few more steps in our direction, before he came to a halt. Cocking his head to one side, he regarded us calmly, but with curiosity. "Fair words, Carlisle," he breathed, his voice thin and very quiet. I had to strain my ears to understand them. "They seem out of place, considering the army you've assembled to kill me, and to kill my dear ones."

A loud snort to my right startled me and several others of our group – even a few vampires. Immediately, all eyes went to the culprit, Faith of course. She stared unabashedly at Aro, her eyes glinting in amusement.

"Miss… Lehane, I presume?" Aro said, louder now, his voice carrying easily through the darkness. "May I ask what's so amusing?"

"First of all, the name's Faith," she told him, stepping up to Carlisle's side, immediately followed by the other Scoobies. Jake growled quietly, when Dawn left his side, but he stayed where he was. "And second… you accuse us of having gathered an army to destroy you… Then what about the army you've brought here to kill us?"

"You have a point, my dear," Aro admitted calmly. "However, I didn't bring this _army_, as you call it, to kill you. They're just a precaution."

"Bullshit," Faith snarled, taking a step forward, but Xander's hand on her arm and his warning words ("Don't make the Witch King angry.") held her back. So she settled for crossing her arms in front of her chest and harrumphing.

Carlisle cleared his throat and once again gained the attention of both groups. It was probably best to let Carlisle talk to Aro – Faith's temper might cause more problems with the Volturi than we'd like.

"Aro, my friend… You only have to touch my hand to know that it has never been my intention to attack you. These girls and the members of the Quileute tribe have only come to stand on our side as a… precaution. They have offered their help, when Alice saw your coming to Forks."

Carlisle was smart, I had to give him that. Not that I thought he was stupid or anything, but the way he was formulating his answer was great. We all knew that Carlisle hated violence, so he had only told the truth – from his point of view. And turning Aro's words around, saying the Slayers and wolves were just a precaution, just as Aro's demon army was… it was brilliant.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, my dear friend," Aro replied smoothly. "Then, seeing Eleazar at your side, I assume you know the reason why I'm here."

Carlisle nodded, as he elaborated, "Eleazar has informed us about the Vampire Slayer Francesca and her fate."

"Then you also know of the rules regarding to the Vampire Slayer…" Aro stated, now looking at Eleazar. "Of which the most important rule is that it is forbidden to change a Vampire Slayer. Which is something that you were about to do in just a few days."

"You know," Xander suddenly threw in, "if this is really the most important rule, you could have just sent the Cullens a message and inform them about this, when you heard about Bella being be a Slayer. Or maybe just a phone call. Could've spared you and us a lot of trouble."

Before Aro could react, Caius drifted forward to Aro's side. He regarded Xander as if he were nothing more than an insect, as he hissed, "Keep your mouth shut, boy. You don't get to tell us, how we should react in certain situations."

Xander stood straight, not wavering under Caius's glare. "If it's about one of our girls, then I believe I do have a say, especially if you come to her hometown, without warning, with an army of demons. But no, making a phone call just doesn't make any sense. Especially seeing as you basically forced the Cullens to turn Bella."

Caius took a threatening step towards Xander. "You have no idea, who you're talking to, do you, boy?"

If Xander was threatened by Caius, he didn't show it. His posture was still completely relaxed – something I really couldn't understand, as my nerves were ready to burst – and even though I couldn't see his face, I could very well imagine him rolling his eye, as he answered Caius's question. "You're a bully – a vampire bully, okay, but still just a bully. Trust me, you're not scaring me. After facing the First and its army of ubervamps, and not to forget all the other nasties the Hellmouth threw at us, you're not even making the top ten of the most scariest things that I've seen in my life."

"How dare you!" Caius took another step and I noticed out of the corner of my eyes, how the Slayers tensed ever so lightly, even Faith. They were ready to defend Xander if it came to that – but it didn't. Aro put a hand on Caius's shoulder to restrain him.

"Peace, my brother," he whispered to him, and then turned to Xander. "Mr. Harris, I must admit, I see your point. Of course, I could have just called Carlisle to warn him of the danger, but tell me: do you think that my warning would have been taken seriously?"

"Aro, my friend," Carlisle interjected, before Xander could say something. He had kept out of the conversation until now, but now that they were again talking about him, Carlisle probably thought that it was his turn to take responsibility for our group's part in the discussion. "How could you doubt me? If you had told me about the dangers that I would not just put Bella, but also us, in, when we change her, I would have believed you."

"You would have, I know. But what about your children? Edward and most importantly, dear Bella herself? Wasn't it always her greatest wish to become like us? How big would her disappointment be? How would her mistrust of us influence her decision? Her image of us had been tainted, I believe, so why should she believe anything we told you? No, we thought it would make more of an impact, if we came here and told you in person. "

I couldn't just watch this any longer, without being able to do anything. Now they were talking about me, about what I wanted, and I couldn't stay out of this conversation any longer. I loosened the grip on Edward's hand, which caused him to give me a confused look, which I just returned with a determined one. However, as I wanted to pull my hand out of his, Edward wouldn't let me. His eyes burned into me, imploring me not to go anywhere near them, but I had to do this.

"Aro, may I speak?" I asked, trying to remain polite.

He seemed surprised to hear me ask this, but at the same time also pleased. I'd bet the Scythe that he had just waited for me to step in. So, when he nodded, I handed the Scythe to Vi, who was standing next to me, and began to close the distance to Carlisle and the Scoobies. Edward, who just didn't want to let go of my hand, had no other choice but to tag along.

I felt vulnerable somehow, without the Scythe in my hand, but it had been better to leave it behind. I hoped that we could solve this whole thing peacefully, without having to fight, so what better way to show this than leave behind the one weapon that could harm the Volturi?

"Speak, Bella," Aro prompted, when we had reached them. "What is it you'd like to say?"

"You're right," I simply announced. I could feel every single eye on me, but for once, it didn't bother me. I was standing in front of the vampire who wanted to kill and use me and my family, so petty things like this paled in comparison. "Ever since I've fallen in love with Edward, it was my greatest wish to become a vampire, to become like him. I wanted to spend eternity with him, and even though Edward has tried to convince me to stay human, he finally relented. Partly because I wanted this so badly, and partly because of your threat – change me, or kill me.

"However, when Eleazar told us the story about Francesca, everything changed. I still want to become a vampire, mind you, this wish will probably always exist deep inside in my heart, but I realize now that it isn't possible."

I looked up at Edward and I could feel the tears in my eyes, when I thought about what I was to say next. I wasn't going to say this to Aro, I needed to say this to Edward. It would sound more believable this way. I raised my hand and cradled his cheek in my palm, as I continued,

"I can't become a vampire, Edward. I wished I could spend eternity at your side, but I can't. I… I don't care about becoming crazy, but I care about how much I would hurt you. I can't ask you to take care of me, if I lose my mind. I won't put this kind of responsibility on your shoulders. And because of this, I will now announce before everyone that is gathered here that I give up my dream. I choose mortality. I will continue to live as a human until I die."

I didn't lie. I chose mortality, for now. I would continue to live as a human, until we found a way to change me without my becoming insane. When I was changed, my heart would stop beating and my mortal body die.

"Oh Bella…" Edward muttered, as he wiped a tear away that had escaped my eye. Then he took both of my hands into his and kissed them. His eyes were full of regret and I had to suppress the urge to avert my gaze. I hated to deceive him this way, but it was the only thing I could have done. I would never give up until I found a way to have my forever with Edward, but as long as I kept this secret, Aro wouldn't find out. And it was Aro who I had to convince of this. He couldn't read my mind, so he had to trust my words.

I really hoped he did.

"Now, isn't that touching," Caius sneered.

"Caius," Aro reprimanded him softly. He took another step forward and took both our hands in his.

I had wanted to avoid this – Aro touching Edward - as he would now see every kiss, every touch, everything we did in the past few days, all the secrets that we had kept, my power as a shield. And not just this – he would also hear everything our family and friends, vampires, wolves and Slayers alike, were thinking.

"Interesting…" he mumbled, almost impossible for me to make out, before he said louder, for all of us to hear, "I understand that this is a great sacrifice, dear Bella. I know how much you wanted this, and I'm sure that immortality would have suited you. But I thank you for your choice. I believe you have just averted a great tragedy."

Aro once again let go of our hands and turned to his guard. I couldn't believe this! Did I dare to hope? Had it really been this easy? Just tell Aro that I won't become a vampire and he would let us all go? It seemed too easy! And where were the different strategies that Edward had talked about? What would come next? It couldn't be over, yet. Aro was far too devious for that.

"Isabella Cullen has just declared that she won't become a vampire," Aro announced to his guard.

I tensed, when he called me 'Isabella _Cullen'_ – of course Aro had heard in Edward's thought that we had married in secret, but I had hoped that he wouldn't betray us this way. I really should have known better. I heard a few confused mumblings behind us and saw the questioning look Carlisle gave Edward and me, but I had to ignore all of them. Edward and I, we would deal with this later – if we still had the chance.

I turned my full attention back to Aro, who continued to say, "She means to abide the rule we, the Volturi, had been forced to establish to keep our secret."

"You can't be serious," Caius snarled. "What about the other rules pertaining to the Slayer that they actually broke?"

Edward hissed quietly next to me – I wished I could read his mind to know what exactly Caius was planning now.

"Or has my brother forgotten the other rules?" Caius sounded a bit smug, when he asked this, obviously, rhetorical question. Vampires had perfect memories, they didn't forget anything, as Edward kept reminding me.

"Of course not, Caius," Aro answered amiably. "And I will address them in a moment. I only wanted to establish first that Bella has decided to forego immortality. However, you are correct. Both Bella and the other Cullens have broken the other rules that were established in this context. Those rules say that vampires outside the guard may not know about the existence of the Slayer and that the Slayer and therewith the Watchers' Council may not know about the existence of our kind."

Again I could hear hissing behind me and some growls from the wolves, and if I could, I would join them. Aro's accusation would never hold in a real trial. Of course, he was right, we broke these rules, but we didn't know any better. I wanted to point this out, but decided that it would be better to let another member of my family handle that, preferably Carlisle or Edward.

"Are you aware of the fact that you have broken the rules?" Aro now addressed us again. "Or do you deny these charges?"

"No, we don't deny that we have broken these rules," Carlisle admitted. "However, at the time, we weren't aware that these rules existed. As you have pointed out yourself, no one outside the guard knew about the Slayer's existence. So, how were we to know that we were breaking rules, when said rules pertained to the Vampire Slayer, whose existence was meant to be a secret?"

Aro only smiled – almost a bit sheepishly. I still didn't trust him, however. It all sounded and looked too fake. I couldn't decide, if Aro was just such a bad actor, if it just appeared to me that way, or if he was doing this on purpose. "Touché, my friend. You are right, of course. It was an oversight on my part."

"But you've still betrayed our kind to the Council!" Caius pointed out, his voice cold and angered. "You've told humans of our existence. Again, if I may add. You are creating too many rules for yourself, Carlisle, always making exceptions to our rules, when you see fit to do it."

"These humans," Edward interjected, "are a part of the Watchers' Council, an organization that deals with the supernatural on a daily basis. Before we revealed ourselves, we had proof that they knew of the existence of vampires and other supernatural beings. The Head Watcher even knew what we were, once one of his employees had given him a description of our kind. So, you could say that we didn't tell them anything new."

"Edward is right, my brother," Aro conceded, still looking as calm and serene as he did, when he arrived. He still appeared to be so sure of himself.

However… Again, one of their arguments had been shot down. I wondered, how many more to go. And would we be able to defend ourselves against all the other ones that were still to come? I had never been a religious person, but now I sent a prayer to heaven, asking whoever was up there to let us get out of this confrontation without bloodshed.

"The werewolves…" Caius suddenly mumbled.

With a sudden panic, I threw a look over my shoulder to the wolves. They were still unharmed, but if the Volturi now turned their attention to them, I had to protect them. One wolf was enough – I only had to touch Jake – and then the rest would be protected from Alec's and Jane's attacks. But nothing happened.

"Ah, brother…" Aro answered Caius's statement with a pained look.

"Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?" Caius demanded. "The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation – no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle."

Edward cleared his throat loudly and Caius glanced at him again. Aro – still being very obvious in his acting – placed one thin, delicate hand over his own face as if he was embarrassed for the other ancient.

"Caius, there's no full moon tonight," Edward pointed out. He gestured to Jacob. "These are not the Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear to relation to your enemies on the other side of the world."

"You breed mutants here," Caius spit back at him.

Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched, then he answered evenly, "They aren't even werewolves. Aro can tell you all about it if you don't believe me."

They weren't werewolves? Now, that was new… I once again looked over my shoulder to Jacob, but he just shrugged his huge shoulders. He obviously didn't know what Edward was talking about either.

"Dear Caius, I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts," Aro murmured. "Though the creatures think of themselves as werewolves, they are not. It would be more accurate to call them shape-shifters. The choice of a wolf form was purely by chance – it could just as well have been a bear, a hawk or any other animal from their mythology. These creatures have nothing to do with the Children of the Moon. Their transformation is genetically induced – they do not infect others the way the true werewolves do."

Caius now openly glared at Aro with irritation and something more – an accusation of betrayal, maybe. "They, too, know our secret."

Edward was about to defend them, just as he had defended the Council, but Aro was quicker. "They are creatures of the supernatural, just as involved in this world as the Slayers and the Council are. They are just as depended upon secrecy as we are, maybe even more. They won't expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere."

Caius took a deep breath and nodded. He and Aro shared a significant look, which I didn't understand. But I did understand the words Aro spoke to Caius. False accusations wouldn't help them in their case. The last few charges had been feeble attempts to find something of which the Cullens were guilty. And they had not worked. With this one glance, Aro told Caius to move on to the next strategy.

Whatever it would be, I thought I was ready.

So, when Aro suddenly announced, "I believe it is now time to council with my brothers.", I was stunned. He nodded at us and then returned with Caius to the rest of the guard, where he, Caius and Marcus joined hands to form a black-shrouded triangle.

"We should also go back."

I looked at Edward, whose face was still tense. He only nodded tersely, when Carlisle suggested that we went back to our friends as well. I wanted to ask him, what was going to happen now, what the Volturi were talking about, but I kept my mouth shut. At least until we had reached the others.

"Is this it?" Dawn asked curiously. "Did we win?"

We all looked at Edward, waiting for him to answer. He looked, as if he was in pain. The desperation was clearly visible on his face, as he looked at me. Fear gripped my heart. We had won every argument with the Volturi. I had announced that I wasn't going to become a vampire, so what else could they accuse us of? What was so bad that it could put this look on Edward's beautiful face?

"What is it, Edward?" I whispered, again raising my hand to cradle his cheek. He leaned into the touch, savoring it, as if it were the last time I was going to touch him like this.

Edward looked as if he were to choke on what he was going to say, but eventually he managed to murmur, "Aro has one last strategy, and there's nothing we can do about it. He's going to give us an ultimatum…"

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, but Edward was only looking at me. And his look told me everything. It was over.

"They're done," Dawn whispered.

Faith smirked grimly. "Now that was quick. They just couldn't wait to start the fight, huh?"

"Looks like it," Xander agreed. "And why am I not even surprised that they only took three minutes to make a decision?"

"Honey, that's because they're the bad guys," Willow explained to him. "And because we knew that they wouldn't leave without having gained something. And besides, they've already had everything in place before they even left Volterra and we had already guessed that."

While I was listening to the Scoobies, I quickly took the Scythe from Vi, and turned back to face the Volturi. Whatever they were going to throw at us, I was ready to defend myself. And I swore to myself - before I died, I would take as many of them down as possible. I could feel the weight of the lighter that Alice had provided us all with in one of the many pockets of my pants. I hoped their cloaks burned easily.

Now, all three Volturi leaders took a few steps towards us, but this time, we remained standing in our line. Whatever they had to tell us, they could tell all of us. We were ready, ready to fight, ready to die. A small grin tugged at my lips, as I remembered a line from one of my favorite movies as a child. They might take our lives, but they would never take our freedom.

Aro was standing between his brothers and it was clear that he would announce the sentence. We all waited with baited breaths – for his announcement, for their attack… And we didn't need to wait long.

"My friends," Aro began, "my brothers and I have decided that you are not guilty of the charges we have brought against you. Bella has declared that she won't become a vampire and seeing as the Council and the wolves are both tied to the supernatural, we can't find you guilty of betraying our secret. There is no broken law. However…"

Here it came. Aro held a dramatic pause and I just wanted to roll my eyes. Who was he doing this for? His guard probably didn't care about whether we were guilty or not, and the Slayers and wolves were on our side. And the demons on his side were only here for the fight; they also couldn't care less about Aro's sense for dramatics.

His gaze rested on Edward and me and I swore I could detect the glee under the regretful look on his face. "However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No." He shook his head gently. "That is a separate issue."

"What are you talking about, Aro?" Carlisle demanded to know. The gentleness in his voice had disappeared, replaced with a steel resolve. It was rare to see Carlisle the leader, instead of Carlisle the father, but it was the leader who was now standing with us, questioning Aro's motives.

"While Bella has declared that she won't become a vampire, can we be sure that this really won't happen?"

Our side broke out in protests, mine being among the loudest of them. I couldn't believe him! I had given him my word – which I didn't intend to keep, at least not as soon as we were sure that I could become a vampire and still be myself afterwards. But Aro simply raised his hands, palms pointed outwards, to calm our outrage. If anything, it had the opposite effect in me, but I fell silent anyway. I wanted to hear what else he wanted to say.

"Peace, my dear Cullens, Slayers and wolves… I didn't mean to accuse Bella of going back on her word. What I meant to say with his is that accidents can happen. We may not forget that Bella is still Edward's _la tua cantante._ No other blood appeals to Edward as Bella's does. And also to other vampires her blood smells… tempting. Maybe even more so now that she has become a Slayer – after all, isn't Slayer blood meant to be a powerful aphrodisiac?"

"I can control myself around Bella," Edward only said curtly.

"Maybe you can… maybe you cannot. With her blood being as tempting to you as it is, I don't think you can give me the promise that you'll always be able to abstain from her blood. And even if it isn't you, another member of your family could slip, if her blood were to be spilled. After all, only one drop would be enough…"

His gaze slipped to Jasper, whose eyes lowered ever so slightly, when Aro reminded him of what had happened on my eighteenth birthday. My anger at Aro began to grow steadily stronger. I wanted to shut him up. I wanted to wipe that fake look off his face. I wanted to take my Scythe, cut off his head and watch him burn.

With a simple shrug, Aro concluded, "As I said, accidents can happen. No one is to blame, if it happens, but the consequence for Bella and our secret could be disastrous. And because of that, my brothers and I have no other choice. Isabella, my dear Cullens, the time has come for you to part ways."

"What?" I gasped, already feeling the stitches in my chest burst. This couldn't be happening! Aro couldn't do this to us! I looked up at Edward, but the pain in his eyes told me that I understood Aro's words correctly. He wanted to tear us apart.

"As you will be heading for college now anyway, it won't raise too many questions, if the Cullens left Forks. This show of a wedding would have to be called off, of course, but it wouldn't be the first time that you left without a warning, after all."

"You can't do that!" Dawn yelled. "This isn't right!"

"This is the only right thing I can do, Miss Summers," Aro answered quietly, but firmly. "As long as Bella is in danger of being changed… if just by accident… the safety of our kind is in danger as well. To keep our secret, sacrifices have to be made. We will give Bella and the Cullens forty-eight hours to make the necessary arrangements. Once these forty-eight hours are over, we won't allow any further contact between Bella and the Cullens. Our lawyers will take care of the divorce. If you don't accept our terms, you will force our hands."

"No!" I cried out, at the same time as vampires and wolves alike began to snarl. Only Edward remained completely silent. I couldn't stand the despair in his eyes. He looked so lost, as much in pain as I was. He looked as if he had given up, as if he had already accepted that he had to leave me, again. Gripping his hand tightly, I let my anger and despair fill me, hoping that these strong feelings would be enough. _I won't leave you! I'd rather die than give in to his demands!_

Edward lowered his gaze, as he mumbled, "I know… But maybe…"

_No maybe!_ I snarled in my head. _If Aro's giving us this ultimatum, I'm going to fight! I won't give you up! Never!_

His eyes had regained some of their light, some of their determination, as he nodded and then turned to Aro. "So this is your ultimatum. Either we and Bella will cease to have any contact with each other, or you'll attack us."

"It doesn't have to be this way, dear Edward. While I understand that it will be difficult for all parties involved, I truly have no other choice. But, if it comforts you, I'm sure the Watcher's Council has the means to make the situation easier for Bella. The witches ought to be able to perform a memory charm strong enough to erase all the memories Bella has of you."

"That's not what magic is for," Willow told him. "Erasing other people's memories is wrong."

"But didn't you just use a spell to alter someone's memory yesterday, Miss Rosenberg?"

"That was different," Willow muttered. "I only tweaked his memory a bit, and I did it with his consent. It was for his own good and to keep your secret."

Aro smiled, his voice as smooth as an eel. "This won't be any different now. Without her memories of Edward and the Cullens, Bella won't suffer. She could continue to live a normal life, or maybe even accept your offer and become a Slayer for the Council."

Willow looked at me, and for a moment I thought that she was actually contemplating Aro's reasoning. I just wanted to open my mouth, to beg if necessary, but then she just winked at me and told Aro, her voice steeled with resolve, "I won't do it, Aro. I won't help you. And I don't think that there's anything you can do to separate Bella and Edward. I've never seen a love that is stronger than theirs – nothing could erase this love, this connection, not even the strongest memory charm on earth."

I was still holding Edward's hand tightly, seemingly symbolizing what Willow had just said to Aro. Nothing could tear Edward and me apart. I would fight for him until I took my last breath. The only thing I regretted was that I would take this last breath tonight. But I would die at Edward's side, fighting alongside him. And even when we did, we wouldn't lose to the Volturi. I was sure that, one way or another, word would travel, word of the family that stood against the Volturi, and that we wouldn't be the last ones to do so. And sometime, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but sometime in the future Aro would meet his match and the Volturi's tyranny would be no more.

"So, this is your choice, Edward, Bella?" Aro asked. "You will refuse me?"

Edward and I exchanged a look – it seemed to be impossibly long, but only lasted a few seconds in reality. With this look, we sealed our fate. Edward raised my knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly, before he returned his full attention to Aro. "This is our choice. Bella and I will never be parted again."

Caius smiled widened viciously, as Aro turned his gaze to Carlisle, his last hope to make us change our minds. At least he made it seem that way. "Carlisle, my dear old friend. Are there no words you can use to sway your son's decision?"

"No, there aren't," Carlisle replied bleakly. His stance, however, was still that of a leader, but of a leader who was about to damn his entire family. "And even if there were, I wouldn't use them. Bella is a part of our family. We've once made the mistake of leaving her – this had been a devastating experience for all of us. We could never leave her again."

Aro lowered his head, as he announced, his voice full of regret – he even sounded sincere now, "Then my friend, I'm afraid you force our hand."

"No, Aro," Carlisle mumbled. There was no fear in his voice; only determination and acceptance. "You force ours."

They didn't exchange another word, as Aro only shook his head and returned to his guard, together with Caius and Marcus. While Marcus still didn't betray any emotions, the excitement and malicious pleasure about our fate was visible on Caious's face and in his whole posture. I gritted my teeth in anger, as Aro stopped in front of the guard and the demons and told them, "I'm sorry my friends. I had hoped we could solve this peacefully, but the Cullens and the Slayers leave us no other choice. We have to fight."

"Great," Faith mumbled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Blame us…" Then, she raised her voice, "Okay Slayers, get ready for battle. But wait for them to attack first! We won't be blamed for making the first move and give 'em the sick pleasure of saying that we attacked 'em!"

Emmett on our other side smirked happily, eagerly, as he hit his palm with his fist. "Truer words were never spoken, Faith. Let them come!"

For the first time that night, I let go off Edward's hand and he allowed it. We both understood that we would need both our hands in that battle. "I love you…" I said to him.

"As I love you," he replied and for what would most likely be the last time in our lives, captured my lips with his own. The kiss wasn't passionate and it wasn't long, at yet we put all of our love into this kiss.

When we parted, I saw my family speak their last words to each other. I wished, I could say goodbye to them too, but I didn't have enough time. My sister Slayers were calm, but tense, all ready for battle. Low growls and snarls were coming from the wolves. Their hackles were stiff and their teeth exposed.

We waited for their attack.

And it came, as swiftly delivered as the wind. Rona dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. My eyes flashed to Jane, who was grinning at us wickedly. I only glared back and stepped in front of Rona, effectively blocking Jane's power. She snarled at us in response and went into a crouch, followed by other members of the guard.

This was our sign. They had made the first move. As one, we charged forward – at the very same moment, the demons on the other side also began to move. I was running, next to Edward, the other Cullens, Slayers and wolves at our side, and then we met them, right in the middle. I swung the Scythe, cutting through the first demon that got in my way. It dropped dead.

I only had a split second to feel good about this first kill, as already the next demon attacked me. This time it was a vampire, which quickly turned to dust after meeting the pointy end of the Scythe. Another stab to the other side and a big green horned demon was impaled on the sharp side. It stumbled a few feet back and I jumped around, kicking hit in the chest. It landed on its back and with a yell, I thrust the Scythe downwards, cutting off its head.

Three down, many more to go.

And so it continued. It might have been several hours, but it might also only have been a few minutes. I was slashing, hacking, stabbing, killing demons and vampires left and right. But none of the Volturi ever crossed my path. Whirling around and finishing off another demon, I saw how two wolves were tearing at a gray cloaked figure – one of those wolves was Jake. I grinned, happy that Jake got to kill at least one of them.

A snarl behind me alerted me to the danger of another demon, which quickly found its end by my Scythe. I had been lucky until now – not many of the demons I had killed had managed to land a hit on me. I only felt a few bruises on my body and a claw had left shallow cuts on my left arm, but that was all. The other Slayers seemed to do well, too, at least as far as I could see in this chaos.

My eyes searched out Edward and quickly found him. His teeth were buried in the neck of a green-skinned demon that was wearing something that looked like a medieval armor made of chainmail and leather. But the thing that struck me most was the red gemstone on the demons forehead, which was smashed, as Edward tore off the head and threw it to the ground, where it hit a rock.

Edward caught my gaze for a moment, before we were both again engaged in the battle. However, sudden cries to my right startled me. There, about a hundred and fifty yards away was a group of Slayers fighting some demons – one of them was Faith – but it was strange. They seemed to be lashing out blindly, not hitting anything. What was wrong?

I looked around and suddenly saw the source of their problems. Not that far away from them, Alec was standing, with a smug smirk on his face. For a moment, I wondered where Jane was, before I saw her only a short distance away from Alec, closer to the ancients than to her brother.

There was a strange haze on the ground – it was difficult to see in the darkness – but it was all around the blindly fighting Slayers. This must be his power; it must be this haze that was robbing them of their senses. And to save them, he must be destroyed.

I began to run towards them, but I was too far away. There was nothing I could do to save them in time, before they were killed. Hot anger surged through my body at my inability, at the Volturi for wanting Edward and Alice so badly that they would kill the rest of us.

I was seeing red, my anger fueling the power of the Slayer surging through my body, and suddenly, it seemed too easy. Crying out, I pushed my shield outward and it reacted. There was almost no resistance, as it flew across the field and enveloped Faith. Her eyes lost their confused and unfocused look, as her vision and other senses were returned to her.

"Faith!" I cried out, getting her attention. "Catch and get Alec!" I threw the Scythe at her, which she caught deftly in one hand, and then she was off. I only had time to recognize the look of surprise on Alec's face, before Faith swung the Scythe around and cut cleanly through Alec's neck. The moment his head was cut off, the other Slayers that had been blinded by him had their sight and hearing returned to them, and only three seconds later the demons that had attacked them were history.

I was still running, but my destination had changed. My target was only thirty yards away, twenty, ten and then I was upon Jane. She, shocked by her brother's death, as his body went up in flames, hadn't sensed my coming, and so first noticed me, when I was already on her back and her head gripped in my hands.

"Goodnight, Jane," I only muttered, before I, still empowered by the rage, used all my strength to twist her head around. Her screams were music to my ears, as was the screeching sound that usually accompanied a vampire losing one of his limbs. Eventually, both sounds faded and I slid from Jane's back, her head firmly in my hand. I threw it to the ground, next to her body. Calmly taking the lighter out of my pocket, I lit it. "I hope you burn in hell." With a flick of my wrist, I threw the burning lighter on Jane's dark gray, almost black, cloak, and it caught fire at once.

I stared into the flames, my anger slowly evaporating, as it was replaced by a strange calm and peace.

I might die tonight, but at least Aro's two right-hand vampires, the witch twins, were dead as well.

"Bella?"

I raised my head and saw Edward stand next to me. His eyes were full of wonder, as he looked from me to the burning vampire on the ground and back to me.

"They won't hurt anyone again," I just told Edward.

"Little B! Watch out!" Faith suddenly called out.

I ducked just in time, as a pale fist hit the place where my head had been just a split second ago. I looked up and saw Aro stare at me, his usually so calm eyes fiery with rage. I wondered why he didn't attack me, and found the reason in Edward, who was gripping Aro's neck between his hands.

"Don't ever touch her again," Edward hissed, tightening his grip. Aro put his hands on Edward's arms, trying to push him off, but to no avail. Edward was too strong and it had been too long since Aro had to fight hand-to-hand.

When I saw Aro like this, at Edward's mercy, unnoticed by the other members of the guard, who were all engaged in a fight, I suddenly had two sides in me battle each other. For one, I wanted to see Aro dead, but on the other hand, he was obviously suffering because of Jane's and Alec's deaths and letting him live and suffer his defeat might just make my day.

Before I could make a decision, however, a strange noise reached my ears. I wasn't the only one who had heard this and suddenly, all eyes were turned to the sky. I didn't know what they were looking for, but only a few seconds later, all became clear to me. I knew that sound, and my suspicions were proven right, when we were suddenly blinded by glaring light.

All fighting ceased.

A helicopter had appeared above the clearing, hovering above it. I had to shield my eyes against the light, but I could swear I saw something. And I had been right. Something was falling out of the helicopter and then, just a second later, a loud thud echoed through the clearing, followed by another.

As the light cone of the helicopter hit them, I saw that it was three persons, who were now standing right in the middle of the previously fighting demons, vampires, Slayers and wolves. To my surprise, I recognized two of the three persons, though I could guess who the third person was.

My heart beat hard against my chest, as I couldn't believe my eyes.

The shortest of the three, a young woman only a few years older than me, with long and straight blonde hair, was actually pouting, as she was looking around the clearing. "You couldn't have waited to start the fighting until we arrived, could you?"

"Buffy!" Dawn exclaimed surprised, followed by several other shouts of the Slayer's name from her other friends.

"Yup, that's me," she quipped. "Sorry for being late, but our pilot wouldn't go any faster."

Buffy Summers turned her gaze towards us and nodded once. Much to my surprise, Edward let go off Aro, who stumbled a few steps backwards, holding his throat. He appeared to be as surprised as I was by Edward's sudden action. On top of that, when Aro spotted the latecomers, he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Edward, what…?"

"It isn't necessary to kill him any longer," Edward told me softly. "He now doesn't have a reason to eliminate us anymore."

When I let my eyes wander back to Buffy, I saw that she had her arms full of Dawn, who was greeting her sister with a hug. Then, when Dawn finally let go off her after a few seconds, Buffy glared at the demons that had come to Forks on Aro's orders. It was amazing – she didn't need to say or do anything – they just backed away and disappeared again in the woods. It was amazing how much they feared the Slayer.

When I watched their retreat, I noticed that their number had diminished greatly. Add to that the few fires that were scattered around the clearing and I realized with a start that we had actually had good chances of winning this. Especially with Aro having been at our mercy and Jane and Alec having been destroyed.

The guard began again to huddle around Aro, Caius and Marcus. I allowed a smirk to flicker over my face, as I saw that Caius was missing an arm. I didn't know, who had torn it off, but I was glad that at least one of the ancients had suffered some physical damage.

At the same time, the Slayers and wolves gathered around all of us, almost guarding the Volturi, making sure that they wouldn't do anything stupid, like attacking us again. My family had joined us as well – I was relieved to note that none of them seemed to have any worse injuries than a few bite marks - , ready to welcome the Slayer and our other guests. They were walking towards us and I could almost feel the bond to the two women. It was the same bond I felt to the other Slayers. My sisters.

"So, you're Bella, huh?" Buffy asked curiously, tilting her head to one side, as she offered her hand.

I clasped her hand, as I replied, "That's me. And you must be Buffy."

She glanced at Edward and then grinned at me, "Oh, you and I have sooo much to talk about later."

Laughing lightly, I let go off her hand again. "I believe we do."

Buffy was still grinning, as she motioned to the two persons behind her. They were both pale, though their olive-toned skin betrayed their Mediterranean origin, and both had long black hair. And not to forget the golden eyes, which showed that they, too, had chosen the vegetarian lifestyle. She looked just like she had in my Slayer dreams. "May I introduce my two new friends? Francesca and Antonius. I believe you've heard of them."

Carlisle and Eleazar, I noticed, were staring openly at their old friend, before Eleazar finally broke the silence and walked up to Antonius, engulfing him in a strong hug. "My friend," he mumbled, "I had thought you were dead."

"This had been my intention," Antonius replied smirking, though I could hear the guilt for betraying his friend in his voice. "I'm sorry, but I had to do this. I had no other choice to save her." The smirk disappeared quickly again, however, as Antonius's eyes landed on Aro. "Aro…" he said coldly.

"Antonius," Aro muttered, still not believing his eyes. "This is a surprise. And Francesca. You're magnificent."

Francesca hissed in reply. "Don't you dare speak to me."

Aro raised his hands in surrender, realizing that anything he said might mean his end. "Peace, I'm just surprised to see you here. You seem so well."

"Now, this is exactly the reason why I've brought them here," Buffy said, still smiling brightly. "Giles told me that the vulture guys were against Bella being changed into a vampire. I've gotta admit, until Giles explained the situation to me, I was fully Team Volturi, but with your vamps being all soul-having, I'm now totally on your side. I've gotta say, Giles sent me on a wild-goose chase, at least in the beginning, it had appeared to be that way. But when I finally found them, I was happy to see that Francesca was completely sane, so here we are. The proof that Bella can be safely changed."

"But how is that possible?" Eleazar asked confused. "I saw you. Everything pointed to the fact that you had lost your mind!"

"It was an act," Francesca admitted, not looking at Eleazar, but at Aro. "When I woke from the burning, I realized immediately what I was. I admit, in the beginning, I had behaved rather like a lunatic. But that was the shock, I hadn't wanted to become a demon. Which Slayer does? And then, when I noticed that Aro had no use of a crazy vampire, I continued this charade. He never touched me again after the first time, shortly after I had awoken. My _crazy_ mind had disturbed him. So I could keep my secret. I had hoped that he would kill me immediately and was about to despair, when he waited two years. So, when Antonius finally came to my cell with the torch that would burn me…"

"She just said, 'Thank god, you're finally here to kill me.'," Antonius took over. "At that moment, she didn't look as if she had lost her mind. She was as sane as I was and I realized that all this had just been an act. When she saw that I knew, she begged to kill me, and not to tell Aro. However, I knew that Aro would see it in my thoughts as soon as he touched me, but I couldn't kill her. So, I burned two vampires in other cells that Aro had long pushed from his mind and spread their ashes in Francesca's cell. Then I fled with her through a secret tunnel. We've been together since…"

The way he smiled at her warmed my heart. I had felt so sad for both Francesca and Antonius, when I had heard their tale, so seeing them this happy made me happy too.

Francesca, obviously deciding that it was her story, continued, "Twenty-six years after our flight, I found out that my Watcher was sick and dying. I had been keeping an eye on him, ever since Antonius took me out of Volterra. I visited him… I wanted him to know that I wasn't dead and that I was happy. He had thought I was an angel, when I had suddenly appeared in his bedroom, but after I had told him my story, he accepted the truth. He was just happy that I wasn't really dead. Before I left him again the next morning, he told me that he could now die in peace, knowing that I was well and had even found love. He had died shortly after, but I only found out thanks to Buffy that he had written about my visit in his Watcher's diary. Fortunately, the other Watchers must have thought that I had been a hallucination of a sick and dying man. They didn't believe what he had written about me."

"That's how Giles found out about Francesca being… well, not dead-dead," Buffy added. "He called me, seeing that I was already in Italy, and sent me off to find them."

I wanted to say something, but it was impossible. Only a few hours ago I had been convinced that I would die, but now this miracle had occurred and not just had the Volturi no right to continue this fight, but my whole planned future was suddenly open to me again.

"That's amazing," Carlisle breathed, summing up my thoughts pretty well. "We really need to talk about everything more later, but now…" He turned to Aro, his face showing his power and resolve. "Aro, before you, you see the proof that our secret is in no danger of being exposed by an insane vampire. Francesca is as sane as you and I, and has always been so. Slayers can be changed into a vampires without repercussions or dangers of exposing our world. While I'm sorry that it had come to a fight, you had left us no other choice but to defend ourselves – your side took the first step in the fight - and I regret deeply all the losses both our sides have suffered. But in the end, your fears were unfounded. So I entreat you to take back your ultimatum. Allow Bella to be a part of our family."

Aro humbly lowered his head. "You are right, my friend. I'm completely at fault here, so I take the full blame and responsibility. I hope you accept my apologies for not giving you a choice, though I also hope that you understand our side. Please, if you were just to promise me something? Now that we know that Slayers can be changed, promise me that you won't change them just because they ask you to. Dear Isabella is the exception of course. I, in turn, will promise the same – I won't change any Slayers anymore. Do you promise me this?"

"I do Aro, accept your apology, understand your side and honor your promise. I only hope that, when we part now, it will be as good friends, once again?"

"Of course, Carlisle," Aro whispered. Caius looked outraged at Aro's decision and Marcus… just looked bored. "Isabella, I missed to offer my congratulations to your marriage. I wish you a good life at young Edward's side. Take good care of him."

"I will," I answered stoically, again taking Edward's hand in mine.

Aro held his hands out to us, almost apologetic. Behind him, the larger part of the guard, Marcus and Caius included – I saw that Caius was now holding his right arm in his left hand; I wonder, where he had found it – was already drifting away quickly, their formation, despite their few losses, precise once again. Only Aro lingered for a moment longer.

"Farewell, Carlisle. I hope the next time, we will meet under happier circumstances."

"Farewell, Aro," Carlisle only replied. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard and the demons from hunting in this region. I should warn you that we have Slayers patrol the area."

Aro nodded and joined his guard and we watched tensely until they had disappeared in the trees and a moment longer.

"Are they gone now?" Xander asked. "Is it over?"

Edward nodded chuckling, his smile was huge. "Yes, he's given up. Like all bullies, he's a coward underneath his swagger."

Alice laughed with him. "Seriously, people! They're not coming back. At last not now, or tomorrow. If ever. Everybody can relax now."

There was another beat of silence, and then I was suddenly in Edward's arms, being whirled around. Slayers all around me cheered, wolves howled. My family was hugging and kissing. Happiness and relief was everywhere. Edward kissed me for a long moment before he eventually had to let go off me, so that I would get some air.

"Tell me, Edward! How come you didn't hear them in the helicopter?" I asked, breathlessly.

He just shrugged. His face looked once again tense, but maybe that was just my imagination. "I don't know… I guess I was just too busy fighting. And then worrying, as you took on Jane… and defeated her."

"Now, _that_ was a rush!" I giggled. Reality was finally catching up with me. I was alive. I had killed a Volturi guard. I had slayed plenty of demons. And I was still alive. As was everyone else in my family.

"Okay," Buffy's voice suddenly rang out. "Which of you wolves is Jacob Black?"

I giggled again, as I saw Jake shrink slightly. He was trying to hide behind Leah, but she was obviously having none of it, and pushed him forwards, with some help of Seth and Embry, until he was suddenly standing directly in front of Buffy. It took all my self-control to not burst out laughing, as Jacob – a wolf as big as a horse – looked scared of a woman who barely reached his shoulder.

Buffy's glare would make any man cower, especially if they knew about the small woman's power, and Jake was no exception. "Listen, you hurt my sister in any way, I'll kill you!"

Almost everyone in the clearing began to laugh again.

I beamed up at Edward, only this time, I didn't chalk it up to my imagination that he looked tense. Almost as if he were in pain. The hand that wasn't holding mine was scratching his stomach and I was confused. Vampires didn't get itches, did they?

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked worried. My question immediately drew some looks from his family towards us, but Edward only shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong, Bella…" he croaked.

"You're lying," I hissed, now seeing the pain for sure in his eyes.

"I'm…" But whatever he wanted to say was swallowed by an unearthly scream that suddenly escaped his throat. Edward let go off my hand, as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"Edward!" I cried out, grabbing his shoulders and looking around for help. "Carlisle! Please, come here! Hurry!"

Carlisle was at our side a split second later, holding onto Edward. "Edward, my son… what's wrong?"

Eyes that spoke of excruciating pain met our gazes, as Edward only hissed two words, "It's burning!"

* * *

**A/N: As you probably noticed, I used some lines from Stephenie Meyer's novel "Breaking Dawn" (2008, Atom), p. 679 -741. I had tried to find my own words, but Stephs were just perfect. :)**

**Oh yeah, and before I forget: The Nazgûl and therewith the Witch King are property of JRR Tolkien, the author of "The Lord of the Rings".**


	23. Burning

**A/N: And hello again! Can you believe it? Another new chapter already? Yes, it's true! A small part had already been written ages ago, and now I only had to write the rest, which flowed really well. Okay, this chapter might not be as long as the last one, but this was the perfect point to stop. **

**Well then, after this one, only one more chapter to go, I think, and then the epilogue. I had hoped to have twenty-two episodes, just like in a season of Buffy, but, what can I say… my muse wanted a bit more. However, this story is almost finished and I hope to finish it within the next one or two weeks! So stay tuned for the rest and thanks again for your amazing reviews! I always love to read about your theories. ^^ Let's see, if you are right!**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Burning**

Another scream echoed through the clearing and suddenly I was pulled backwards by strong arms. It had happened just in time, because directly following the scream, Edward began trashing around.

Tears welled up in my eyes, as I saw my husband, my soulmate, lie on the ground, writhing in pain. If I hadn't been sure that Jane was dead, if I hadn't killed her myself, I would have thought that she was hiding somewhere, inflicting this pain on Edward.

"Let me go! I have to go to him!" I shouted, trying to break free from the strong slender arms around my stomach. But they wouldn't let me go. "Alice, please…"

"No, Bella…" Alice replied, not once loosening her grip around me. Her voice was filled with worry. Couldn't she see what was happening to Edward? "I'm sorry…"

And so I had no other choice but to stand aside and watch how Emmett held Edward down. With each scream that erupted from Edward's throat, my stomach twisted painfully. I wanted to help him. I wanted to go to him and soothe him, but as long as Alice was holding onto me, I couldn't.

Carlisle was leaning over him, tearing off Edward's T-shirt. My eyes rested on his smooth stomach, where Edward had scratched himself before the pain had overwhelmed him, but there was nothing to be seen. His skin was unblemished and white, at least as far as I could see in the darkness of the night.

"There is nothing I can do for him here," Carlisle announced quickly. "Jasper, do you think you can calm him until we're at the house?"

Jasper simply nodded and joined them. He put his hands on Edward's chest and almost instantly Edward's screams faded. He was still in much pain, however. His face was still contorted in a grimace and grunts and moans had now replaced the screams. I hoped that maybe Alice would let me go to him now, but she was still holding onto me.

I had to watch, how Jasper gathered Edward in his arms and then ran off. Carlisle threw a questioning look at the Slayers – Faith, Buffy and the Scoobies in particular – looking regretful, torn. However, before Carlisle could say anything, Faith answered, "Go, Doc. Take care of Eddie. We'll take care of our injured and dead here and bring them to London. The injured wolves can also come with us. Our witches can heal them."

Dead? Girls had died and wolves had been hurt? How had I not noticed this before?

But my attention was quickly drawn away from Faith and what she had said, when Carlisle took off running after Jasper. I began to struggle again in Alice's arms, but now that Edward was gone, she obviously didn't think anymore that it was dangerous for me, so she let go. I didn't even hesitate before I began to follow Carlisle. He was already long gone and while I was fast, I was still nowhere as fast as a vampire.

So I wasn't surprised, when the other Cullens began to catch up on me, and I couldn't have been happier, when Emmett suddenly grabbed me and threw me on his back. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and my legs around his stomach, while he was tearing through the woods. "Thought you might have needed a ride, little sis," he said grinning.

"Thanks, Em…"

I buried my face in his T-shirt, allowing a few tears to fall. Life wasn't fair. We had won, the Volturi had been running from us, we could have finally had our happily ever after, and now this. I had no idea, what was wrong with Edward. Had he been poisoned by one of the demons he had fought. Was he… dying? No, I didn't want to believe that. He just had to be fine. I wouldn't survive if he died.

About a minute later, if it even was a minute, Emmett jumped and I saw that we were already at the house. Several lights were on, also in Edward's room, so they were already there. I wanted to ask Emmett to let me down, when he slowed in front of the house, but he just went straight through the open door and up the stairs. First when we were standing in front of Edward's room, he stopped and allowed me to climb down.

I hurried through the door and what I saw almost broke my heart. I wanted to fall on my knees and curl up on the ground, but I had to be strong, for Edward. The love of my life was lying on our bed and he was screaming again, trashing around. His flinging arm tore off one of the iron posts and it came crashing to the ground.

Jasper looked relieved, when Emmett arrived and he must have said something to him, because Emmett was suddenly in Jasper's place, holding Edward down again, while Jasper had retreated to one wall. His face was filled with almost as much pain as Edward's and I could understand that he needed a break.

And it wouldn't help if I added to the strained atmosphere with the despair that I was feeling. So, trying to stay calm, I asked Carlisle, "What's wrong with Edward?"

Carlisle only spared me a brief glance, before he answered, "I don't know. It is almost impossible for a vampire of our kind to feel physical pain. I can see no sign of an injury anywhere on his body. You've heard how he said that it's burning and…" The look of professionalism on Carlisle's face slipped for a moment. I shouldn't forget that Edward was his son and how much it had to hurt Carlisle to see him that way. "I believe the only thing we can do now is try to find out, what did this to him and how we can reverse it. Hopefully in time…"

Hopefully in time…

Esme gasped behind me, startling me. I hadn't even noticed that the rest of the family had arrived at the house. Emmett really must have been running fast to get us here before anyone else.

But I didn't pay them any attention. I could only think of what Carlisle had said.

He had no idea, what was wrong with Edward, but he already feared the worst. My heart broke a little more. I needed to be at Edward's side. I needed to be close to him. Maybe I could ease the pain, the suffering. Tears were running down my cheeks – I just couldn't stop them – and when Edward suddenly screamed my name, I was running towards him. He needed me and my need to be with him, to comfort him, was overwhelmingly strong, but again I was stopped.

This time, stronger, more muscular arms were wrapped around my body. I could see the scars on the arms and knew immediately that it was Jasper. "Let me go!" I cried, struggling against his grip. "I have to go to him! I have to help him!"

"You'll only get hurt, Bella," Alice tried to reason with me. "If Edward hurts you now, he'll never forgive himself."

"He needs me!" I was kicking, using all my strength against Jasper. Edward wouldn't hurt me, never! I had to get to him! Why didn't they understand? Without Edward, I was nothing. I needed to make sure that he was going to be alright. I had to help! I couldn't bear to see him in this pain.

I was like a wild animal, kicking, screaming. Even scratching, though this didn't bother Jasper at all. I probably would have even bitten him, if he had gotten anywhere near my teeth. His arms were like steel around my body and not even my Slayer strength could help me now. It was useless. Still, I didn't give up. I wouldn't give up until he let me go.

"Jasper!" Carlisle suddenly ordered. He probably said more, but I didn't hear it. I was too busy trying to break free.

I didn't need to, however, as suddenly my strength began to fade and I was beginning to feel drowsy. Jasper was using his damn power on me and I realized that all my chances of breaking Jasper's grip were gone. "No, please…" I cried, the tears still streaming down my cheeks. My kicks became sluggish and eventually my legs were feeling too heavy to lift. They wouldn't even carry my weight anymore, so Jasper had to hold me upright, pushing me against his chest. "Don't…"

"I'm sorry, Bella," Jasper mumbled comfortingly in my ear. "But you need to calm down. You need to rest. Let Carlisle do his work. There's nothing you can do here to help…"

"No…" I just repeated, but I was losing the fight. All sounds around me began to fade and eventually, darkness claimed me. The last thing I heard was Jasper once again apologizing to me.

_I had a weird dream. It was my wedding and I was on the dance floor, in Edward's arms. We were smiling at each other lovingly, lost in our own world, as we were swaying to the music. Edward was leading, of course, though my abilities on the dance floor had improved a lot since I had become the Slayer. He looked so happy, his green eyes sparkling in the dim light. His cheeks were flushed slightly from the champagne and I realized I was feeling a little tipsy myself._

_With a sigh, I rested my head against his warm chest, listening to his heartbeat. It began to race slightly, as I let my fingers trail down his back and his breath caught in his throat. Giggling, I looked up into his eyes, and they were burning with desire. But we had to wait a bit longer for our second honeymoon. Edward still hadn't told me, where we were going, but he kept promising me that the wait was worth the surprise._

_"I love you…" I whispered, leaning up and kissing his jaw line._

_I felt his hot breath next to me ear, as he replied, "And I love you…"_

_Then, suddenly, Edward let go off me, as he clutched his stomach in pain, falling to his knees. I took a startled step backwards, but immediately crouched down in front of him. "Edward…?"_

_His head snapped up, and a snarl escaped his lips. Bright red eyes were staring at me, his face twisted like a demon's._

_"No!"_

"No!" I cried, sitting up with a start. I was breathing heavily, my fists clenched around the blanket I was covered with. I was drenched in sweat and had to wipe some damp strands of hair out of my face. This dream had been so vivid, so realistic, that I had to convince myself that it had just been a dream.

"Bella, are you alright?"

I looked up startled at the unexpected voice. Rosalie was sitting on a chair next to the bed, having a worried expression on her face. Now, this was new. While our relationship had begun to change for the better since I had been Called, I had never seen her look at me like this before. It was the first time I actually saw compassion in her eyes, at least when it was about me. "Rose?"

Apparently satisfied that I wasn't going to lose it over a simple dream/nightmare, she got up from the chair and poured some water into a glass. "Here… you need to drink something…"

She was still looking at me strangely, almost as if she expected me to snap, as I took a sip of the cool water. It felt good in my throat and I wondered if I had screamed a lot while I was sleeping. However, first when I had emptied the glass and finally looked around, I suddenly realized that I wasn't in Edward's bedroom, but in Alice's and Jasper's.

Something was nagging me in the back of my mind, but at the moment, I couldn't think of any reason why I had been sleeping here. "Rose, what am I doing here?"

Her face became guarded, as she asked carefully, "You don't remember? How Jasper brought you here and stayed with you most of the night until he was… needed again?"

I shook my head. Something was fishy here, something was wrong. If only I could remember. Why would Jasper bring me to their room, when I could just spend the night in the bed Edward had bought for me? "Where is Edward? What is going on?"

It was obvious that Rosalie didn't want to answer me, but there was no need for it, as I suddenly heard it. A scream. Terrifying, suffering… full of pain. Edward.

Suddenly it all came back to me – the fight against the Volturi, our victory and then Edward, collapsing in pain. Carlisle and Jasper had brought him home, I had ridden on Emmett's back. They hadn't let me go to Edward and then Jasper had used his power on me and put me to sleep. And now it was morning. Rosalie's skin glittered in the sunlight, as she was watching me warily.

As much as I wanted to jump up and go to Edward's room to demand to see him, I knew I should be careful, unless I wanted a repeat of what had happened earlier the night. "How is he?" I asked in a whisper.

Rosalie took a relieved breath, even though she still looked ready to jump and stop me, should I decide to run for it. "No change. Carlisle is still at a loss. Emmett needed a break from holding Edward down, but I heard how the bed cracked a couple of time, so Jasper has taken over again. The scream you've just heard… it's one of the few that I've heard since Jasper has gone back in. He's trying to help Edward, to numb him so that he won't feel as much of the pain."

I nodded woodenly, my heart again breaking a bit more. Just as before the battle, when Aro had given us the ultimatum, I slowly felt the stitches in my chest burst, one by one. "Do you… do you think they will let me… see him?"

I was surprised to suddenly feel Rosalie's arms around me, as she hugged me tightly. Immediately, I knew the answer. "Not yet… Carlisle's orders. He doesn't want to be disturbed. But maybe later, when they know more… Dawn, Willow and Xander arrived a bit more than one hour ago. They, the Denalis and Jacob are already hitting the books. They hope that they find a demon, whose poison could have caused the burning. And then find an antidote. Esme is in the kitchen, preparing food for an army, trying to stay busy and not to think about what is happening. And Alice is trying to see something, but…"

"Nothing…" I finished her sentence. Just as Alice hadn't seen that something would happen to Edward, she now couldn't see what was happening with him. So it must have been caused by a demon. We just had to find out, what did this and how to reverse it.

Swallowing hard, I tried to fight the instinct to be at Edward's side. I needed to help him, but now that the Scoobies were here, there was another way. With this decision made, I carefully pulled away from Rose's embrace and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "Where are you going?"

"Downstairs," I answered without looking at her. I know I shouldn't have been surprised to see that I wasn't wearing my shoes any longer, or that all the weapons I had carried around were gone, but I was a bit. My braid was gone as well. Someone had even cleaned and dressed the cuts on my arm, while I had been sleeping. Jasper must have really gone all out, if I hadn't noticed anything. "I want to help with the research."

Rosalie smiled at me softly, once again putting an arm around me and helped me up. "I'm sure they'll appreciate the help."

I couldn't help but think that maybe Rosalie's arm around my shoulder was partly meant to hold me, in case I decided to storm into Edward's room. But, knowing that I wouldn't stand a chance with all the vampires around, I wouldn't even try. Emmett was standing guard in front of the door and he squeezed my hand lightly, as we passed. I threw a longing look over my shoulder, hearing groans inside and knowing that it was Edward, still suffering from whatever appeared to be burning him from the inside, and Emmett gave me a reassuring smile – which rather resembled a grimace – as I rounded the corner to the stairs.

Downstairs, I was immediately engulfed in a strong and incredibly warm hug and I allowed Jake to hold me for a while, drawing on his strength. He kissed my forehead and then led me over to the couch, where he just handed me a book. Rose sat down next to me, grabbing a book as well. The Scoobies and Denalis only smiled at me, obviously knowing that words wouldn't comfort me right now, before they went back to their research.

Opening the book that Jake had handed me, I tried to get lost in the descriptions of the different demons and their abilities, but it just wasn't possible. In the end, the book was lying open in my lap, but I wasn't seeing anything. There was only one thing I could concentrate on – and this was Edward's tingle, which told me that he was still with us, and his screams that I could hear now and then.

I just wished that I could be at his side. If he really… died… ceased to exist… I wanted to be at his side, when it happened. I wanted him to feel my hand in his, my lips on his skin, my love for him. But with Emmett guarding the door, and all the other vampires in this house watching me, I had no chance. No choice but to obey Carlisle's orders. No one was to disturb them.

* * *

Time passed.

Seconds, minutes… maybe even hours.

I didn't know how long I'd been sitting outside. Time had lost all meaning ever since Edward had collapsed right next to me, writhing in pain from… whatever it was that had caused this. I still wanted to go inside, to go to Edward, but my 'spider sense' still told me that Emmett was guarding the door, allowing no one inside, except for Carlisle and Jasper, while Carlisle was trying to figure out what was wrong with Edward and Jasper still trying to ease Edward's suffering.

There, Alice had kept me company for a while, but I must have looked like I wanted to be alone. I mean, leaving this impression wasn't that hard, especially as I hadn't reacted to anything she had said. To be completely honest, I couldn't even remember what she had been talking about. I had been too lost in my thoughts, too lost in my concentration on the one tingle of my 'spider sense' that I would recognize everywhere. As long as I still felt that tingle, I knew that Edward was still… alive. Or undead.

I released a trembling sigh and raised my face to the sky. The sun was shining just as brightly as the day before, as if mocking me, and I glared at the blue sky. We were in Forks and the sun wasn't supposed to shine like this, especially not after this night. Not after the fight, where we had lost three girls, as Xander had told me, when I had asked him earlier this morning. Not, when right at this moment, Edward was inside, fighting for his life. Where were the dark clouds and the rain that represented my mood?

One traitorous tear slid down my cheeks and I angrily wiped it away, before I crossed my arms and hugged myself tightly. I had already shed too many tears today. But I could already feel the slightly throbbing pain in my chest, threatening to open the hole that I had tried so hard to mend over the past few months. It had never fully healed, the stitches were still visible, if someone looked at my heart, at my soul, but with Edward back and especially with Victoria out of the picture, I had been doing so much better.

I longed to be numb again.

But one thing was sure. If anything were to happen to Edward now, I wouldn't survive. This time, I would not recover. It would kill me.

I would just be another casualty, collateral damage, of the battle against the Volturi – just as the three Slayers that had died last night, and all the other girls and wolves that had been hurt.

And so I waited, sitting curled up in the grass, with the sun glaring down at me, hoping that by some miracle Carlisle, or one of the Scoobies managed to figure out what had happened and could cure Edward, the whole time concentrating on the tingle of the one vampire in the world that I loved so much, more than life itself.

More time passed. The sun was by now standing high in the sky and I felt a slight gnawing in my stomach, even though I had no appetite. Esme had tried to get me to eat something, but the plate was left untouched next to me.

There was no change in the tingle, and no one had come out to tell me anything new. However, I was slowly growing more and more restless. Fidgeting, I got up again. Maybe they would let me go to Edward now, or maybe they knew something they hadn't told me, yet.

But just at the same time, as I turned around to walk back to the house, two things happened roughly at the same time. The tingle, Edward's tingle, suddenly disappeared, from one second to another, and just a split second later, a terrible, unearthly screamed echoed through the backyard.

First, when I found myself lying on the ground, with Alice worriedly hovering over me, I noticed that it was me, who was screaming. Still, even with this knowledge, I couldn't stop. Agonizing pain ripped through my body, tearing the hole in my chest open again. I barely noticed the tears streaming down my face, or that someone was kneeling next to me, calling my name.

"Bella! Bella!" Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes, although I hadn't realized that I had closed them. Topaz eyes met mine and for a moment, everything was silent, before I started to scream again. Then something hard and cold hit my cheek and this time, as I opened my eyes, I saw more than just topaz eyes. Black hair and a pixie-like face looked down at me, the expression on the face worried. Alice. "Bella, what's wrong?" she asked, while checking my body, apparently for an injury.

Edward… He's… "Gone…" I could only mumble, as my mind slowly caught up with my feelings. I focused again on _his_ tingle, but it had really disappeared, and there was only one logical explanation for this.

"Gone? What's gone?"

I looked again at Alice and croaked, "Tingle… Edward's tingle…" As her eyes widened, I knew that she understood. The Cullens knew that I could feel all of them, that they all had their own _tingle_, as I had begun to call it.

Shaking her head, Alice whispered, "No… it can't be… I haven't… I haven't seen…"

And then, as if a bit delayed, the truth came crashing down on me. He really was gone. Edward was… dead.

My throat constricted painfully and I became painfully sick. I managed to roll to my knees just in time to lose the little bit of food that had still been in my stomach. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw that Alice pulled my hair back, and I caught the hurt and disbelieving expression on her face. I heaved until my stomach was empty and nothing more than bile came up. But still, I couldn't breathe.

Dry sobs wracked my body and I couldn't get any air into my lungs. I knew that I must have started to hyperventilate, as Alice began to tell me to breathe, but I couldn't listen to her. Her voice came from far away, as if she was standing in the house, as the whole world began to spin. Everything hurt, I couldn't take it anymore. The hole in my chest was so big that it threatened to swallow me whole and I had half a mind to let it do just that.

Yes, I decided. Once I was inside, the pain would stop. I was sure of that.

I stopped breathing altogether.

So I didn't care, as my lungs started to burn due to the lack of air, or that my vision started to dim. Alice's frantic voice disappeared and I tried to smile at her, to convey that this was okay. That this was what I wanted.

"Bella!" another voice called. It was rough and familiar. This time, my smile was genuine. _I'm coming, Edward…_ The black dots in front of my eyes were growing and I knew that soon, everything would be over. "Bella!"

Suddenly, warm hands grabbed me and I was pulled up against a warm, comfortable chest. "Breathe, Bella," the voice choked into my ear. "Please… Breathe!"

And without knowing why, I obeyed the voice and did just that. I took a deep breath through my burning lungs and let it go again.

"Good," the voice whispered. I was vaguely aware of the hand that was running through my hair. "Do it again."

I repeated the action one more time. And then again. After the fourth time the black dots disappeared and I found myself looking into a pair of stunning emerald colored eyes. Somehow, in the back of my mind, my subconscious decided that this would be my favorite color today. The pain faded to a somewhat bearable level and I sighed.

"Oh Bella," the voice said again and I was crushed against the chest in a tight embrace. "It's alright… Everything's going to be alright…" This was so familiar, and yet, at the same time not. I could hear the heart of the voice's owner beat fast and hard against his warm chest and something told me that this was not right.

I raised my head again and almost got caught again by those beautiful eyes, but this time I forced myself to look at the whole face. And was shocked. Bronze colored tousled hair and pale skin. For some reason I expected the skin to sparkle in the sunlight, but it didn't. However, the skin looked softer. I raised my hand and traced his cheekbone. The skin really was warm and soft. And then again, the eyes. Green eyes stared back at me. Worriedly. This had to be a dream.

"Edward?" I asked disbelievingly.

He nodded, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "It's really me."

The last thing I saw before passing out, were again his green eyes.

* * *

Voices. Dim voices. This was the first thing I heard.

"You have to let me examine you."

I knew that one. Strong, compassionate. Carlisle.

"Not now."

That voice almost growled. It seemed extremely familiar and yet unfamiliar. Rough, slightly husky… It was directly next to me. My heart began to beat faster, as I heard that voice.

"Listen to reason. You have been sick, when I changed you. We don't know, if you're still infected by that virus."

Carlisle again. What was wrong? Who was he talking to?

"No, you listen. I'm feeling perfectly fine. In fact, I've never felt better, healthier… more alive than I feel right now."

That voice sounded happy, exhilarated even. But also a bit annoyed, maybe even angry. I could almost imagine, how the owner reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Please, Edward… just to be on the safe side…"

Edward? He was here? Where was he?

Wait a second… Something wasn't right with this. His tingle wasn't here. I could feel all the other Cullens – Carlisle and Alice were close, and the rest of them hovering nearby. But Edward's tingle was gone. And yet… how could Carlisle talk to Edward, when he was… not here. And who was the owner of the strange voice?

What had happened?

Suddenly it hit me.

Green eyes.

I had blacked out. And this was the last thing I had seen.

I remembered the dream I'd had before, when Jasper had put me to sleep. Edward had had green eyes in that dream – before they had changed to red. Edward had been human in that dream.

But, was that even possible? It couldn't be true, could it?

"She's coming to," I heard Alice whisper, just as my eyes fluttered open.

I was staring at a white ceiling, where the sunlight was playing with the shadows. Warm hands were grasping my right hand. I almost didn't dare to turn my head in that direction, not knowing what I would see.

"Bella?" I heard that strange and yet so familiar voice ask again. It was pleading, almost sounding scared… and hurt…

I couldn't bear the pain in the voice and turned my head. I had to blink against the blinding sunlight, but when my eyes had finally adjusted to the light two seconds later, I gasped and sat up in the bed.

It was him, and yet it wasn't. The hands that were holding mine were warm and soft, just slightly calloused. The face that I saw was slightly rounder – just a bit – still pale, but not as pale as I had expected. There was even a rosy tinge growing in his cheeks, as he realized how closely I was watching him. (He was blushing!) Green eyes, framed by long bronze lashes, were regarding me uncertainly. A small, nervous smile was tugging at his soft lips.

I just kept staring at him. Unable to comprehend what I was seeing and feeling.

Then, a few strands of his bronze-colored hair fell into his eyes, as he lowered his head. His hands were shaking, as he pulled them back. His smile disappeared.

First, when he began to turn away from me, I awoke from my trance. He was leaving me! This beautiful creature in front of me was leaving me!

One of his hands had already let go of my hand, but the other was still touching me, so I used my chance and grabbed it. His fingers almost slipped through mine, but I was quick enough. The look on his face grew slightly hopeful again at my gesture and seeing the light appear in his eyes (green eyes!), I couldn't hold back anymore. I jumped up, wrapping my arms around his neck and crushing my lips against his.

They were no longer cool and unyielding. They were just as soft as mine and oh so warm! It was perfect. Perfect and amazing. I almost could feel his heart, as I pressed my chest against his, beating hard and fast, matching mine.

He appeared surprised at first, but eventually he wrapped his arms around me. Almost carefully. And yet, he was returning my kiss with the same need and desperation that I felt for him. Once again, I felt tears leak out of my eyes. Needing to be closer to him, I tightened my embrace, but suddenly, he shifted his weight uncomfortably. Leaned away from my embrace. I stared up at his face, confused and frightened by the rejection.

"Ow… careful, Bella…"

And then, looking into his grinning, flushed face, I finally completely understood.

Edward was human.

My Edward was human!

A split second later, I was again lying in his arms, only this time I was careful with my Slayer strength. More tears appeared, as I sobbed into his chest, "I thought I had lost you…"

"Hush…" Edward whispered, running his fingers through my hair. "Everything is alright. I'm alright."

A relieved laugh broke through the sobs that were shaking me. Everything was so new, so confusing. Edward being human was a concept that was hard to grasp. I couldn't understand all of this now. But I didn't need to.

But at least I was now sure of three things.

Edward was fine.

He was alive.

And even more than that.

Somehow, miraculously, Edward was human.


	24. Human

**A/N: This is it… The last chapter… After this one, there'll only be the epilogue left (You can expect it sometime in the next couple of days!) and I can promise you that I will write some more one-shots about the "Blue Moon"-verse, but I will tell you more about that at the end of the epilogue.**

**I want to thank you again for your reviews of the last chapter! Most of you guessed right about what happened to Edward. Now let's see if you're also right about the 'how'!**

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**Chapter 23: Human**

Edward and I were lost in our own little world. It was amazing that I could feel his heart beat, that I could feel the warmth of his body… He was just holding me, murmuring quiet words of comfort into my ear, while I tried to get the tears to stop flowing. Something hot and wet dropped to my shoulder and I realized startled that it was one of Edward's tears, probably the first he had shed since 1918. He was crying, just like I was, and I hoped that it was due to happiness, because my tears were happy tears. I was just so relieved and glad that Edward hadn't left me, that he was alive, in more than one way even.

Once again, time lost all meaning to me, to us. So we were both startled, when an unexpected quiet cough brought us back to reality. We had completely forgotten about our family that was still gathered around us. I reluctantly pulled away from Edward, though I quickly grabbed his hand. I wouldn't let go of him again, no one would take me away again. I wouldn't allow anyone to tear us apart again.

I quickly wiped the remaining tears away with the back of my hand and sniffed once, trying to regain my composure. Edward still only had eyes for me, still regarding me worriedly, as if I had been the one who had been burning for the past hours and not him. He was looking at me, as if I were going to disappear any second. To reassure him that I wasn't going anywhere, I squeezed his hand and wiped one more tear that had escaped his right eye away with my thumb.

"Your family is waiting," I mumbled, knowing full well that everyone would hear it.

Edward sighed deeply and finally averted his eyes from me to look at Carlisle, who was watching Edward expectantly. "Okay, Carlisle… now I'm ready…"

Carlisle looked relieved and immediately joined us, while the rest of the family was looking on – stunned, curious… and Rosalie looked a bit hurt. I felt for her – of all the persons in this room, she had wanted to become human the most. And now one of her family had become human and it wasn't her. I lowered my eyes, when she caught me looking at her, and turned my full attention back to Carlisle and Edward. I was glad that Carlisle didn't tell Edward to let go of my hand.

Carlisle was doing a thorough examination and began with listening to Edward's heartbeat and breathing. Edward flinched lightly, when the cold stethoscope touched the bare skin on his chest and then again on the back. He had to cough a couple of times for Carlisle. When Carlisle was satisfied with the results, he moved on to look into Edward's eyes. The green eyes followed every movement and while I thought that Carlisle was working quickly, Edward began to become fidgety.

"Okay, as far as I can see, you're completely healthy," Carlisle announced with a soft smile on his face. He ignored Edward's muttered 'I told you so' and then went on, "Your heartbeat is strong and regular and your lungs work just fine. However, I'd still like to take a blood sample, if that's okay…"

I had to suppress a grin, when Edward began to look a bit queasy at the mentioning of blood. Wouldn't it just be hilarious if Edward, who used to drink blood for nearly a century, couldn't stand the sight and smell of blood, just like me? "Okay…" he eventually said and offered his right arm.

Carlisle gave the rest of his family a pointed look and they quickly left the room. Now it was just the three of us here in Edward's bedroom. Carlisle got a hypodermic needle out of his bag and then began to disinfect the crook of Edward's elbow. Edward turned slightly paler, when Carlisle began to tap carefully on the vein, to make it more accessible.

"Hey," I murmured softly, putting my free hand on Edward's cheek and gently turning his head until he was facing me. "Look at me…"

I held his gaze, as Carlisle pushed the needle into Edward's vein. He grimaced at the unexpected sting, but I continued to stroke his face, hoping that I would distract him enough until Carlisle was done. And fortunately, he was done quickly, obviously having worked at vampire speed. Not even thirty seconds later, there were several vials with Edward's blood in Carlisle's bag and Edward's arm was all taped-up.

"See, it wasn't that bad." I grinned at him, hoping to see my favorite crooked grin on this slightly new face.

I wasn't to be disappointed, as Edward graced me with this grin, and I was glad to note that the effect it had on me hadn't diminished in the slightest – my knees still went weak. "How come, you're not fainting?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I guess it's because I'm a Slayer now. The smell of blood doesn't bother me anymore as it used to. It would be bad, really, to faint in the middle of a fight, just because I can't stand the sight and smell of blood."

Something dimmed in his eyes, when I said this, but he quickly masked it, when he sniffed the air and then grimaced again. "I think I need a shower," he suddenly announced, causing Carlisle and me to chuckle.

"Good idea. I need one, too," I told him, wriggling my eyebrows suggestively. "We both stink."

Carlisle cleared his throat, trying to hide a knowing smirk, but not fully succeeding. "Well, I'll leave you two to clean up. Just come downstairs, when you're done. Esme will have something to eat for you two ready by then." Suddenly, a low growl could be heard in the room, but seeing as it wasn't coming from my stomach, I threw a knowing grin at Edward. He looked startled by this strange sound coming from his stomach and actually blushed again. A blushing Edward – definitely something I had to get used to. Carlisle had the decency to not react to the sound and said instead, "And maybe, now that we know which effect the demon had, we'll be able to find it in the books."

Closing the door behind him, Carlisle left Edward's room. And now we were all alone, for the first time since I had woken up from my embarrassing fainting spell. I really hoped that this wasn't going to become a regular occurrence – twice in just a couple of weeks. Not good.

Pushing this thought away, I tugged at Edward's hand. "You coming for that shower?"

Nodding, Edward followed me. I had to admit, I was a bit concerned about his strange behavior. He usually wasn't that quiet. And he had sounded so happy before, and wasn't it everything he had always wanted? Hadn't he always wished to become human for me? I was sure that I hadn't just imagined the joyful tone in his voice, when he had told Carlisle how alive he felt.

And the way he kept looking at me – it reminded me of the time he had been waiting for me to run because of his being a vampire. I really needed to ask him what was wrong, but not now, not in a house full of supernatural beings that could hear every word we were saying.

Once the door to the bathroom fell shut behind us, I pulled the sweaty and dirty top over my head and threw it to the floor. My pants quickly followed, so that I was just standing in my underwear in front of Edward. He, however, hadn't moved at all to undress – even though there wasn't much left to undress, with his shirt being gone already.

"Edward?" I asked confused. Something was really wrong with him and it was scaring me. He was far away with his thoughts, and he looked so insecure that I just wanted to embrace him. Sometime soon today, I needed to get him away from all the others so that I could talk to him. But maybe just showing him that I was here would help a bit. "Are you going to lose your pants anytime soon, or do you want me to do the honors?"

Finally, this got his attention. But still, he wasn't doing anything, so it was up to me. I slowly crossed the distance between us and began to undo the buttons of his pants. His breath hitched in his throat, when my fingers touched a sensitive spot, and I grinned again. At least he was still reacting to me. His pants slid down his still very toned legs and Edward stepped out of them.

Somehow, as if I had pushed a button, Edward was suddenly upon me. His mouth was devouring mine and his talented fingers quickly undid the clasp of my bra. The rest of my underwear was also quickly gone, as were his shorts. And then we were standing in the middle of the bathroom, completely naked.

"Edward," I gasped, feeling his teeth scrape along my neck. Something which he never would have done before. But things were different now, I had to remind myself. There was no venom coating his teeth, no danger of me being drained by him.

"Bella, please…" he nearly begged. "I need you… I need to feel you…"

"It's okay… I'm here… I'm here…" My lips captured his again and everything was forgotten.

* * *

After the _shower_, Edward was a lot more relaxed than before, though the insecurity in his eyes hadn't disappeared completely. I had to say, having sex with a human Edward was different from vampire Edward. He wasn't the ice to my fire anymore, we were (almost) equal now. Both hot, both soft, both of us having to catch our breath. But it being different didn't mean that it was bad. It was just as amazing as it had been on our wedding night. After all, he was still Edward, my Edward – just a bit more fragile. But also a lot less dangerous. Which was good – he didn't have to worry about hurting me anymore.

"Are you ready to face them all?" I asked carefully, as we stood on the top step of the stairs.

Edward allowed a small grin on his face, as he replied, "You are aware that Emmett will most likely crack one of his jokes…"

I waved him off. "Let him… It's not like you've taken my virtue just now. Thanks to Aro they all know that we're married. And besides…" I flashed him a wicked grin. "You've been forced to endure their nightly activities for… how many years?"

"Too many…" he laughed and my heart fluttered in relief.

This was the first true laugh I had heard from him since last night, when the Volturi had retreated. I could understand that it would be hard for him to get used to this new situation, and that it might take some time, but somehow I had thought… I didn't know what it was that I had thought, but it was not this. I wanted to be happy for Edward - and I was! – but he was dragging me down.

But maybe, maybe he was getting better now.

"Alright," Edward finally said with a heavy sigh. "Let's go. I'm starving… I think… And whatever my mother made downstairs smells just too good to resist."

I giggled, hoping that Edward wouldn't disappoint Esme. However, when he thought that the food smelled good, it was very likely that he would also like the taste of it. But he was right, it smelled really delicious and I couldn't wait to eat Esme's version of Chicken Alfredo again. The Slayers had loved it as well, always praising Esme and her cooking skills.

Seeing as I was positively starving myself – the last time I had eaten something had been sometime before the battle, and it was already afternoon again, which I had been surprised to notice, when Edward and I had left the bathroom. – I tugged at Edward's hand, basically forcing him to come with me.

All conversation ceased, when Edward and I stepped into the living room. I felt Edward's hand tremble lightly in mine, and his eyes darted around the room nervously. However, his whole posture suddenly began to relax and he smiled shyly. I glanced over at Jasper and he nodded slightly at me, as I mouthed 'Thank you.' Alice seemed to take Edward's smile as an invitation and danced up to us, engulfing her brother in a loose hug. I was more than ready to go between them, if Edward showed any sign of being uncomfortable, but he relaxed even more in her arms.

"Glad to have you back, brother of mine," Alice said beaming. "Even though you smell so good now."

I froze, not having thought about how Edward might smell to his family, but none of seemed to make any move to attack and drain Edward.

Then, Alice stepped back and allowed Esme forward. She cupped his cheeks in her hands, before placing a motherly kiss on his forehead and hugging him as well. Her body was shaking and I could only imagine that she would cry, if she could.

"Mom, everything is alright," Edward tried to soothe her. "I'm fine…"

Esme carefully pulled away and she had a fierce look on her face, as she said, "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! Don't you _ever_ scare us like that again!"

Edward laughed again and his eyes began to twinkle. "Don't worry, mom. I'm not planning on doing that."

Emmett chuckled. "No, he certainly doesn't, now that he has found out about other ways to pass his time."

I rolled my eyes, just as Edward answered, "This one was lame, Emmett."

Jasper laughed and clapped Emmett on the shoulder. "He's right, Em. You've made better jokes."

"Hey! At least I'm making jokes! After all, I didn't have any time to prepare."

While Emmett and Jasper were bickering like an old married couple, I turned to Esme. "Esme, Edward and I are kinda starving…"

"Oh, of course… Just sit down and I'll get you a plate!"

Suddenly, our stomachs growled again, both at the same time, and Edward and I exchanged a quick grin, before, this time, he took the initiative and pulled me over to the couch, where we sat down next to each other. The coffee table was still covered in ancient books, some of which were lying open. The Scoobies were still reading, though they had stopped, too, when Edward and I had entered the room.

"So, welcome to the living, I guess," Xander said, grinning a bit nervously.

"Thanks…" Edward just replied.

"This is soooo exciting," Dawn, not being able to contain herself any longer, squealed. I smiled at her, glad that she was her usual giddy self, and not being overly careful like the others seemed to be, as Esme began to hand both Edward and me a plate filled to the rim with Chicken Alfredo. "Tell me, how does it feel?"

Edward thought for a moment, before he answered, "Weird… Overwhelming. I used to be able to think of several things at once, and now it all just… I don't know what to think first… But most of all, it's quiet, peaceful. When I was upstairs, I couldn't hear anyone downstairs… and no other thoughts. For the first time in more than eighty years, there are no other voices in my head."

Looking down at me, Edward smiled softly, almost serenely, as he told us about the peace in his head. I returned his smile, knowing how much this meant to him. Hearing other people's thoughts had often been quite uncomfortable, though it also used to be helpful in confrontations.

"However," Edward suddenly continued, his green eyes sparkling mischievously, but also a bit regretfully, "it's too bad that this happens, just when Bella figures out how to let me hear her thoughts."

"Don't think that I would have let you into my head all the time, Mr. Cullen," I teased him, hoping to keep him on this side. "I would have been afraid that you would grow bored with me, if you heard what is going through my head all the time. Maybe you would have thought me just as shallow and unimaginative as all the other girls at school."

"Never, Bella. I'd never grow bored of you," Edward promised. He finally took a bite of Esme's Chicken Alfredo and the look that crossed his face was one of the most erotic ones I had ever seen. He almost moaned and his eyes fluttered shut, as he enjoyed the taste of it.

I really should have known that this was something Emmett would use against us. He barked out a loud laugh. "I guess I overestimated Bella's abilities in bed, when all it takes to make Edward get off is some stinky human food."

"Shut it, Em," I threatened him. "Don't make me get the Scythe."

Emmett faked a scared look, but kept quiet. However, he was still smirking at us, and I swore that it wasn't over yet. Alright, with Emmett, it was never over, unless you made him stop somehow. I'd have to think about something.

Shaking my head, I took a bite myself and could suddenly fully understand Edward's reaction. For someone who hadn't tasted human food in such a long time as he had, it was really a good start. Esme had outdone herself again – it was truly delicious – and I told her so.

"So," I said after a moment of eating in silence, directed at the Scoobies, "have you found anything about the demon that caused this?"

Willow shook her head sadly, as she closed another book and put it back on the table. "Sorry, but nothing about demons with the power of regeneration. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be a lot easier, if we had a description of the demon."

She looked hopefully at Edward, but he only shrugged. "I've killed so many different demons last night, I honestly can't remember, how they all looked like."

He sounded a bit defeated, and most of all frustrated, and I wondered what this was about, when suddenly, Xander announced, "Aha! I've got it! 'Regenerations of Demons!'"

Everyone in the room perked up, ready to listen to what Xander would tell us. Which demon was it? How had it happened? But we were disappointed, when Xander's face suddenly fell. "Oh… sorry… it was 'Re: Generations of Demons'. Which means 'Regarding Generations of Demons'. I'll just go on looking…"

"Oh, oh, oh!" Dawn cried out, before Xander had even turned the page. "'Veins run with the blood of eternity.' This demon's blood has regenerative properties."

"Way to steal my glory, Dawnie…"

Dawn gave Xander an amused look, asking, "What glory? Look, was this the demon?"

She handed Edward and me the book and my eyes widened, as I saw the drawing of the demon. This had to be it! I looked at Edward, but the expression on his face showed again his frustration. "I don't know… Could be. As I said, I don't remember what all the demons looked like."

"This must be it," I told them, giving Edward a reassuring smile. "I've seen you fight it. It was just before Faith took out Alec and I took out Jane. You tore off its head with your teeth and smashed it to the ground. This jewel on its forehead was destroyed, when you did this."

"You were lucky, you did this," Dawn said thoughtfully. "This demon is a Mohra demon. They're powerful assassins for the dark side. And they keep regenerating themselves, unless you 'bring darkness to thousand eyes'. I guess that's the jewel. Did you swallow any of its blood, 'cause this would explain the you turning human."

Edward grimaced, as he nodded. "I remember swallowing a demon's blood, when I tore its head off. I didn't think it would hurt me, so when I began to feel a light burning in my stomach, I tried to ignore it. Until it became too much."

Carlisle, his face full of curiosity, took the book from us and looked at what else was written there about the demon. When he had finished reading the passage, he gave Edward a bright smile. "My guess is that the regenerating qualities of the blood burned the venom away. It was basically what happens to humans, when they are bitten by a vampire, only the other way around."

"That makes sense," Edward mumbled darkly. "The burning… It was almost like when you changed me. Only much quicker…"

"There isn't anything in this text about the reversal of the regeneration," Carlisle told him. "You're human for good, unless of course, you are bitten again. This change, it's permanent."

Suddenly, the glass door was thrown open and I could hear the fast footsteps of a vampire run away. I just turned my head quickly enough to see long blond hair disappear in the woods. Rosalie, poor Rosalie… Emmett looked uncertainly at us, before he mumbled 'Sorry' and was gone as well. I hoped they would return soon.

As much as I wanted to comfort Rose, my first priority was still Edward and I watched his face carefully, as he took the news with an unreadable expression on his face. Again, I had hoped that he would be happy about this, just as happy as he had been before, but there was no telling what he was thinking now. He turned to look at me with a sad and once again insecure look on his face, almost scared.

I just wanted to reach out to him, to demand to know what was going on, despite all the other people, Cullens, Denalis and Scoobies alike, present, when Alice suddenly said, "Charlie's coming. He's almost here…"

"Charlie?" I asked surprised, and this even managed to break Edward out of his stupor. I hadn't even thought of him with everything that had been going on after the fight, and I hadn't even realized that he should be back by now. Oh my god. I hoped he hadn't found the letter. "Alice, when is he getting here?"

"Now."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Carlisle looked at me questioningly and I nodded at him. There was no delaying it. The moment of truth for Charlie had come. How else should I explain everything? I was sick of lying to him, he deserved the full truth now. I got up, Edward along with me, ready to face him.

I had a promise to keep.

I heard some talk in the entrance hall and suddenly, Charlie was standing in front of me and, quite unexpectedly, hugging me tightly. "Bella, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dad," I replied, confused.

"I was so worried about you, Bells," he continued, undeterred, as he pulled away and looked at me from head to toe. Unfortunately, I was again wearing a T-shirt, so the bandages on my arm were clearly visible. "I haven't slept a wink last night. I had just left Forks yesterday, when I suddenly got this gnawing feeling that I wouldn't see you again. It took all I had to not turn around, but I knew that you must have had a reason for getting me out of town. What's this?"

He was pointing at the bandages on my arm, and I grinned sheepishly. "It's just a scratch. I'm okay. Really."

Shaking his head, my father continued his rant, "So, as soon as we got back to Forks, I brought your mother and Phil to their hotel and then I went home. But you weren't there, so I came here. I had to make sure that you were alright."

"Oh dad…" My dear father. He didn't show it often, but I had always known that he loved me. And he was really perceptive, too perceptive. And suddenly I knew that I had been right to make this decision – my father needed to know the truth about me, my family and my Calling, even if he didn't like it. "Dad… why don't you sit down? There's a lot we have to talk about."

Charlie looked around warily, at the Cullens that were still there, the Denalis and the Scoobies – Dawn waved at him shyly – until his gaze rested on Edward, who was standing right behind me, and he did a double-take. However, instead of saying anything, Charlie just shook his head and sat down on the couch next to Dawn. Jake, who was sitting on Dawn's other side, gave Charlie a wide grin. Edward and I took again our seats from before, opposite of Charlie.

"Now, what is going on here?" Charlie asked with his Chief Swan voice. He took one of the books that was lying open on the table and gave it a quick look. "What is a Mohra demon?"

I exchanged a quick look with the three Scoobies, hoping that they would support me, so when they nodded at me encouragingly, I eventually began, "Dad… Yesterday I promised I would tell you everything, the whole truth." Oh god, had it really just been yesterday? It felt like at least a year had passed since I had talked to Charlie. "I'm ready to fulfill my promise now, if you're ready, too."

Charlie took one more look around, glanced again at the book in his hands, and then nodded. "Bring it on, Bells."

I took a deep breath, knowing that it wouldn't be easy – there simply was no easy way to do this – and I tried to prepare myself for any possible reactions. My hands were shaking and for a moment I thought about backing out, but when I suddenly felt Edward's hand on mine and saw his comforting and encouraging smile, I knew that I could do it.

"Okay, dad… let's start. First of all, the world as you know it doesn't exist. Humans and animals are not the only creatures that live on earth. There are also vampires, werewolves and countless other demons that have made earth to their home." Charlie was regarding me a bit warily, but also calmly, almost as if he knew what I was talking about. But it couldn't be, could it? "Not all of them are bad. There are also good vampires and werewolves.

"However, to fight the bad demons, the Power that Be needed a champion. They chose a human girl thousands of years ago and gave her superpowers – she was faster and stronger than normal humans. A lot faster and stronger. This girl was called the Slayer. From that moment on, there would always be one girl in the world who had this power, always one Slayer. When one died, another one would be called.

"Until everything was changed," I said with a smile directed at Willow. "A powerful evil being wanted to end the world and the Slayer line and the Slayer who fought it had no other choice. With the help of a mystical weapon and one of her best friends – a witch – she shared her power. All the girls that could be Slayers, became Slayers."

Charlie's eyebrows almost disappeared behind his hairline, as he thought about what I had just told him. I began to chew on my lower lip, holding Edward's hand tightly. I knew that what I had just told Charlie was unbelievable, talk of a crazy person and my crazy period hadn't been too long ago. So, I was more than just surprised, when Charlie suddenly began to laugh.

"Dad?" I asked confused.

He slapped his knee a couple of times, before he regained his composure and snorted, "Who in their right mind would make you a Slayer, Bella?"

I couldn't believe it! My father, Chief Swan, believed me! Turning to Edward, I just wanted to ask him what my dad was thinking, when I suddenly remembered that Edward couldn't read minds anymore. He looked at me questioningly for a moment, until I smiled at him and turned my attention back to my father. "You… you believe me?"

Charlie stopped laughing and now regarded me with a serious expression on his face. "Look, Bella. I've been the Chief of Police for a long time and an officer even longer than that. I've seen things, terrible things, and things that I couldn't explain. Strange murders, strange beings… Even in a small town like Forks. When you've seen all the things I've seen, you start to believe in a lot of things. At least now a lot of this makes sense. All the girls _patrolling_ the streets of Forks these last few days. And you're not half as clumsy anymore as you used to be, even though you broke things left and right a couple of weeks ago. I guess it started a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah… it did…"

"Thought so… I've been wondering about the dents in the kitchen table – they looked a lot like your fingers," Charlie grinned at me. I was still almost speechless. Who would have thought that it would be this easy and that Charlie would take everything so well? "Alright, Bells… Are you going to tell me now what happened in Forks last night?"

Relieved that Charlie actually believed me, I leaned back on the couch and began to tell him everything with the help of my family and my new friends. Even the Denalis helped out occasionally. We told him about vampires, the Cullens, the Volturi, the Quileutes – Charlie gave both the Cullens and Jake a weird glance, when I mentioned what they were, as well as muttering about having a word with Billy about keeping secrets from his best friend – and I introduced the Scoobies as members of the Watcher's Council. I told him about what really happened in Phoenix, about my trip to Italy, the Volturi's orders, even about Victoria and her newborn army. And then, at last, everything that had happened since Willow and Xander had appeared on my doorstep – everything except for the secret wedding, which Charlie really didn't need to know about.

When I reached the part of the battle, Charlie slowly grew pale, but he continued to listen in silence. After all, he knew that it all had ended well, what with me and the other Cullens sitting here. Still, I glossed some things over. There was no need for Charlie to know just how bad our chances had stood, just how sure I had been to die.

"Then, when we thought that everything was over, Edward suddenly collapsed," I finished my tale in a whisper. "We had thought that he had been poisoned by a demon, but what we hadn't known then was that he had swallowed a demon's blood – the Mohra demon – and that this blood changed him. Edward became human."

Charlie's gaze wandered to Edward and he looked at him for a long moment, until he eventually nodded. "So, Edward… when you left Bella, you did it to protect her?"

Edward, surprised that Charlie was talking to him – and probably choosing this of all the topics that had been raised during my long tale – looked at him startled for a second, before he answered, "Yes, this was the reason. I realized that she would always be in danger, as long as I was what I was. I wanted to give her a chance at a normal life. But you know Bella. In the end, she'll get what she wants."

Chuckling, Charlie agreed. "Oh yes, that's my Bells. But what about now, Edward? Everything has changed. Bella is a Slayer and you are human. Will you stay with her or leave her again?"

The expression on Edward's face was first one of stunned disbelief and then outrage. "Charlie, I swear… I will never leave Bella again… Unless she doesn't want me anymore…"

His voice quavered lightly, when he said the last sentence, and he glanced at me out of the corners of his eyes. And then, suddenly, everything, every single insecure look, every doubting word, made sense. I immediately squeezed Edward's hand tightly, giving him a fierce look. As soon as we were alone, I really needed to talk to him.

* * *

Edward and I were walking Charlie to his cruiser, once we were done talking. It was already late, twilight again. Just twenty-four hours ago, I had been sure that I would lose my life, but now so many things were different. Edward had become human and Charlie knew everything.

I was still amazed at how well Charlie had taken everything, and that he had believed me at all! Though he was a bit shaken, his interaction with the Cullens hadn't changed in the slightest. He had even accepted a plate filled with Esme's Chicken Alfredo, praising her cooking skills, while he was eating. He had also told Alice and Dawn to stop by anytime they wanted. Before he climbed into his cruiser, however, Charlie said, "Listen, Bells… I'm not sure, if we should tell your mother about all this."

I nodded. "I know… I don't want to freak her out. Better to protect her. This stuff isn't for the fainthearted."

Charlie's lips twisted up to the side ruefully. "I would have tried to protect you, too, if I'd known how. But I guess you've never fit into the fainthearted category, have you?"

"I guess not…"

Charlie shook his head again, muttering about vampire boyfriends and giant wolves as best friends.

He had just gotten into the cruiser, when I suddenly remembered something. I knocked on his window and he rolled it down. "Hey dad… Edward and I will be over soon. And… he will be staying the night." Charlie was about to say something, but before he could, I went on, "I just thought I'd inform you, after all, Edward and I are both of age and can do whatever we want to do." Alright, this was only partly true, seeing as Edward's body was still one of a seventeen years old boy.

Looking a bit uncomfortable, Charlie seemed to fight with himself for a short moment, before he finally snorted. "Okay… But, do I even want to know, how often Edward managed to sneak in since you know him?"

Grinning at him, I just replied, "No, you probably don't."

"Alright, Bells… I'll see you later. And call your mom on her mobile – she wants to meet you and Edward for breakfast tomorrow."

"I'll do that… See you later… and dad, I love you."

"Love you, too, Bells… Whatever else has changed, this hasn't."

After he had rolled the window up again, Charlie started the car and drove away. I sighed and leaned back against Edward's chest, who instinctively wrapped his arms around me. I was suddenly feeling extremely tired, even though I had slept a few hours last night. But those few hours of enforced sleep obviously hadn't been enough.

"What was this about?" Edward suddenly asked, sounding a bit angry.

Turning in his embrace, I looked up at him. His eyes were hard, his jaw set. Now it was my turn to get frustrated again. I had truly hoped that Edward would give up this habit of brooding now, but somehow it was only getting worse. "I wanted to spend the night at Charlie's and I had thought that you maybe wanted to spend the night with me, in my bed, as usual. And seeing as it would probably be difficult for you to climb through the window now, I thought it best to tell Charlie that you'd be staying."

Edward didn't say anything. Instead, he just pulled away and turned to go back into the house.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to pack some clothes for the night," was his short answer, as he left me standing in front of the house.

I was fuming. His mood swings were even worse than before we were together – they were once again giving me whiplash. This talk I was going to have with him was long overdue. I really needed to set him straight! And, while I was at it, pull that stick out of his ass.

* * *

Charlie left us in peace after a few minutes of small talk and after having made sure that he didn't really need any dinner after having been fed so thoroughly by Esme. He went to the living room to watch again one of the many sports shows that were on TV. Although it appeared that he wasn't watching it at all, seeing as his eyes were glazed over and he was obviously lost in his thoughts. I really couldn't blame him. I had, after all, dropped a pretty big bombshell on him. It was only understandable that he needed some time to process all of it, even if he had taken everything so well.

But I was sure that I didn't need to worry about Charlie. If I hadn't thought that he could take it, I wouldn't have told him. At the same time, a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No more lying to Charlie, no more secrets. He now knew everything and it was good.

Still, there was another weight on my shoulders and one I had to deal with right now. Edward hadn't said a word to me on our drive here – which might also be caused by the fact that Edward actually had to concentrate on driving now – but it was driving me mad, slowly but surely.

So, as soon as we were alone in my room, I closed the door and tugged at Edward's hand, motioning for him to sit down on the bed next to me. I knew I needed to tread carefully now, so I chose my first question carefully, hoping that it might get him to talk about his problems on his own. "Are you angry with me, Edward?"

His eyes widened in surprise, as he gasped, "No! Of course not! Why would you think that?"

Shrugging, I reminded myself that I needed to stay calm. I shouldn't yell at him or sound in any way as if I accused him of something. He was in a difficult situation, after all, I should never forget that. "You haven't said a single word on the drive here. Actually, you haven't said much to me at all today."

With his jaw clenched, he said through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry that I'm not living up to your expectations. It's not like I've been through hell last night and that my life has been turned upside down today."

His voice was dripping with sarcasm and I tried not to be hurt by his words. It was just his anger and insecurities speaking, not his heart. Taking a calming breath, I entwined the fingers of our hands. Edward looked at our hands in surprise, as he had obviously expected another reaction from me. "Listen, Edward," I whispered comfortingly. "I know that the word 'huge' doesn't even cover what has happened to you today. And I do understand that it takes some time getting used to. But I had hoped that you'd want to talk to me about this. I had thought that you were happy about this change. At least that's what it had sounded like, when you had told Carlisle that you've never felt more alive."

Silence fell. Edward was still looking at our entwined hands and I feared that he would pull his hands away at any moment. But he just appeared to be deep in thoughts. I only tried to be there for him, to give him strength, and let him think in peace.

"I am happy," Edward said at long last, breaking the somewhat tense silence between us, still only looking at our hands. However, he didn't sound happy, as he said this. As a matter of fact, he sounded scared. Tightening my grip on his hands slightly, not wanting to hurt him, I tried to comfort him. "But…"

He hesitated again and I didn't know what I could do to make this easier on him. "But…?" I urged him on carefully.

Edward let out a humorless laugh and for the first time since we started talking, looked at me. I didn't like the look in his eyes. "I'm human. I'm a weak, pathetic human! You know, Charlie had a point. I'm only human, and you are a Slayer! Even if I stayed with you, what could I possibly offer you? I can't protect you any longer, Bella. I'm no longer the beautiful being that you fell in love with. I'm not strong, I'm no longer mysterious, I don't sparkle in the sunlight anymore… and I can't offer you immortality anymore… All the things that you loved are gone now."

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I hissed ferociously, startling him. I took out my wedding band, which was still hidden on a necklace underneath my T-shirt, and let it dangle in front of his eyes. "Do you really think that I only fell in love with you because you were a vampire? Because you were strong and sparkled in the sunlight? Do you really think that I only want you, because you could offer me immortality? If you really believe this, then you don't know me at all."

"Bella…" He reached up and gently wiped a tear away that had started to roll down my cheek. My stupid tear ducts were once again directly connected to my anger. Wonderful!

"I love you, Edward Cullen," I continued in a whisper. "I love the man that you are – not the vampire or the human, but the man that is inside of this shell. I don't care, if the shell is immortal or mortal, as long as the same man is still inside. I don't care, if your body is supernaturally strong, or just normal, human strong. I don't care if you sparkle in the sunlight, or get sunburned. I don't care, if I can be a vampire or not, as long as I can be with you – be it for eternity or as long as we both live. I'll never leave you."

Suddenly, I wasn't the only one crying. Tears were running freely from Edward's eyes and he wasn't ashamed of it. Sniffling, I slowly let go off his hands, only to gently pull him down so that he was lying with his head on my lap. "I'm sorry, Bella," he mumbled between his heartbreaking sobs. "I'm sorry for doubting you…"

"Hush…" I whispered, running my fingers through his soft bronze locks. It seemed to calm him a bit, as his sobs were slowly reduced to quiet sniffles. "I love how warm you are now, just as much as I loved your cool skin. I love listening to your heartbeat, just as I loved listening to its stillness. I love your soft skin, just as I loved the hard marble. I love how you blush, just as I loved you pale and sometimes sparkling face. I love your green eyes, just as I loved your golden eyes. I love the beautiful human just as much as I loved the beautiful vampire. I love everything about you, Edward, and that's why I married you."

"And I love you," Edward mumbled, sounding completely exhausted, and soon after, his breath deepened and I knew that he was asleep, truly asleep for the first time in eighty-seven years.

"Sleep well," I only whispered, kissing his forehead.

I sat like this for a long time, until my eyes threatened to close as well. Careful not to wake Edward, I wriggled out of my jeans and even more carefully helped Edward out of his. I was grateful to be graced with the strength of a Slayer, as I managed to get both of us in a more comfortable position on my bed without waking him and pulled the blanket over both of us. Then, with Edward snuggled against me, I finally fell asleep.

I was sure that this wasn't the last time I would have to fight with Edward about this.

I was sure that the days and weeks ahead would be difficult for him until he fully accepted what he was now.

But I was also sure that we would get through this together, just as we always did.

And even though I might have lost my chance at immortality, I had now gained so many more things.

I wouldn't have to give up all the things I had been ready to sacrifice for my eternity with Edward, my human family and friends. I wouldn't have to give up anyone I loved.

And as I drifted deeper into sleep, the picture of a small boy, with soft green eyes and bronze colored curls, appeared in front of my inner eye.

I smiled as I let my dreams take me away.


	25. Epilogue

**A/N: Finally, the epilogue… I actually wanted to post it on the weekend, but once it was done, I just couldn't wait, so here it is! I don't want to say much, seeing as there'll be a longer author's note at the end of the chapter, so I hope you can enjoy this epilogue as much as any other chapter of this story!**

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* * *

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Epilogue

Paradise.

There was no better way to describe Isle Esme.

With its white sand beaches, turquoise water and clear blue sky. No other human for miles and miles on end and only a few animals sharing this island with us.

Edward and I were like Adam and Eve, living in our own Garden of Eden.

After we had found the way out of the bedroom, Edward had begun to show me everything noteworthy on the island and in between we were just lazing around, or doing things that required more physical activity.

I grinned. Only at the moment, Edward was confined to the house, the shadows or to long-sleeved clothes, while his bad sunburn from our first day at the beach healed. That's what happened when you didn't put on any sunscreen and fell asleep in the glaring midday sun. I still had to grin, when I thought of Edward cursing through the procedure of putting body lotion on the deep red skin to help it heal. I had to remind him that lots of people forgot to put on sunscreen and that it was only natural that he hadn't thought of it, seeing as he hadn't needed to do it in more than eighty years.

Edward had grumbled a bit afterwards, threatening to be once again swallowed by one of his moods, but I had quickly and successfully distracted him. It was getting slightly better, especially now that we were here, where we could just be Bella and Edward, two people in love on their honeymoon. But I knew that once we were home again, I would need a lot of patience with my dear husband.

I had to make sure that he wouldn't feel inferior, without giving him the feeling that I was coddling him. So I opted for brutal honesty and understanding, when it was once again time to snap him out of his brooding. But I was sure that, given time, Edward would no longer regard himself as a weak human and could enjoy this new life without the shadows of doubt hanging above him. Our love for each other would make sure of that.

With a sigh, I put my book down and got up from the towel lying on the hot sand. Edward was sitting in the shadows of the house, reading as well, while I had wanted to enjoy the sun and the heat that I never got to experience in Forks. But it was getting late and I needed to shower before I started on dinner.

Edward just loved my cooking and he had become somewhat of a chocoholic. Who would have thought that a former vampire, who had loved to drink the blood of mountain lions, could have such a sweet tooth? For tonight's dessert I had planned to make chocolate mousse, which Edward would surely enjoy a lot. One step of my plan to help him adjust to being human was to make him explore all the pleasures of the being human, including delicious food.

Of course, there were also many other pleasures one can experience as a human.

Smiling seductively at Edward, I said, "I'm going to take a shower. You wanna come?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

My knees immediately went weak, when he gave me his crooked grin. Fortunately his skin was almost back to normal – no, that was a lie. Since when did redheads get a tan? I had always thought that they would stay pale! But here he was, Edward with a light tan, which would probably even darken the longer we stayed here and it hadn't even been a week.

Three weeks at Isle Esme – I still had to shake my head when I thought of the fact that Carlisle had bought this island for Esme – were our honeymoon. Edward had kept it a secret until the very last second, when I had set foot on this island. And I just loved it!

Just as I had loved our second wedding – though it was our first for everyone who didn't know that Edward and I had married in secret before the confrontation with the Volturi. Alice had truly outdone herself and even though I would have loved to keep it all a lot simpler, it had been perfect. If I had really wanted to say goodbye to my human family and friends with the wedding, this would have been the way to do it.

I smiled, as a few of my favorite memories of that day flashed through my mind.

Rose had been pretty nice, having come back just in time for the wedding, while she and Alice had done my hair and make-up, telling me that she and Emmett had decided to travel the world and look for other Mohra demons after the celebration. If she could have cried, she would have, when I kissed her cheeks and wished her good luck on her quest.

Her and Alice's work had been stunning. I almost hadn't recognized myself, when she allowed me to take a look into a mirror.

Charlie had been great, when he had given me away, leading me all the way to Edward while I had been too out of it because of some unexplainable nervousness and the beautiful creature waiting for me and the end of the aisle, while Renée had been crying all through the ceremony.

Carlisle had been Edward's best man, but I had barely noticed him, because next to him, looking absolutely handsome in his dark tuxedo, was my husband – and soon-to-be-again-husband. And then, as he had met my awed gaze, he had broken into a smile of exultation, having shown nothing of the strain of the past few days, the battle and everything that had happened after. When I saw his smile, it had only been the pressure of Charlie's hand on mine that had kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle.

The ceremony itself had passed in a blur and I hadn't realized that I had been crying until it had been time to say our "I do's". The kiss afterwards had been simply amazing – Edward had had to end it, unless we had wanted to end up undressed in front of our guests. I was hugged and kissed after the ceremony and the wedding had flowed into the reception party smoothly.

All the standard traditions had been kept. I had been blinded by flashbulbs, as we held the knife over a spectacular cake. I was glad to have invited the Scoobies and all the Slayers that had fought at our side, including Buffy of course, because the cake would have been too grand for our group of friends and family. We had taken turns shoving cake in each other's face and I had marveled at the look of pleasure that had crossed Edward's face, when he had tasted the cake. I had thrown my bouquet right into Angela's surprised hands and Emmett and Jasper had howled with laughter at my blush, while Edward had removed my borrowed garter – courtesy of Alice – with his teeth, before he had shot it right into Mike Newton's face. We had eaten, we had danced, we had talked to everyone present and danced some more, until it had been time to leave.

What would have been a very tearful – and final – goodbye, had things still been as before the Volturi's attack, was now, while still tearful, also a hopeful goodbye. I was sure that I would see everyone again.

And then, after several layovers, we had finally arrived on this island, our paradise.

* * *

"Is this a freckle I see?" I teased Edward in the beginning of our third and last week on Isle Esme.

We were again lying on the beach, enjoying the sun. His sunburn had disappeared completely by now, but Edward had learned his lesson. He had never left the house without sunscreen again after his first mishap with the sun and its power. And it really was unfair – while I was still as pale as I had been when we had arrived, my husband was now sporting a tan. And some freckles around his nose, as I had noticed just this morning.

Edward grunted, not at all happy with the sudden development on his face. But he was still grinning at me and then, unexpectedly, his fingers began to trail along my ribcage. What began as a gentle caress, quickly turned into a tickle-attack.

"Edward! Stop!" I laughed, trying to defend myself, but not even my Slayer strength was of help, when I was rendered completely helpless by my giggles. I tried to wriggle away, which just ended with both of us rolling a few feet in the sand. Edward ended up on top of me, both of us laughing. "Not fair…" I wheezed, completely out of breath, when he finally stopped.

But Edward just smirked down at me. "Come on, Bella. You're the Slayer and I'm just a lowly human." I just wanted to berate him again for talking so badly about himself, when I noticed the amused twinkle in his eyes. "If you can't even take me, how can I ever let you go on patrol?"

My smile, however, vanished suddenly and I sat up. I knew I had to have another important and serious conversation with Edward, but I had dreaded it, ever since I had made that decision a couple of days ago. I had fought long and hard with myself about it, ever since I had a very enlightening talk with Buffy about what it meant to be a Slayer, and of course about boyfriends of the vampire and human variety. Suffice to say that I now understood a lot better where Edward was coming from.

"Edward, we need to talk."

I had expected him to react with worry, but instead he was only gazing at me with some mild curiosity – and was that amusement? – in his eyes.

I waited for him to say something, but when he just kept looking at me like that, I eventually said, "I've been thinking… ever since the day after you've turned human. About my future. As a Slayer."

This time, I thought Edward would react, but he nodded his head once – did I just imagine it, or was there a grin playing at his lips? – and said, "Go on."

"Ever since I've met you, I had been sure about my future. I wanted to become a vampire to be at your side for eternity. But things have changed. You've been given another chance at a human life, a normal life, and apparently, so have I. But my life has never been normal, not since I've found out what you were and especially since I've found out what I am. After I slayed my first vampire, you asked me, what I wanted and I answered that being a Slayer would never be a part of my future.

"Back then, you were still immortal and the only way to be with you had been to become immortal myself, but with things being as they are now, with you being human and me staying human, I've been reconsidering…"

"And what did you decide?" Edward surprised me again. He didn't sound wary, he didn't sound scared, he just sounded entertained. I raised my eyebrows, wanting to know what was going on. This conversation wasn't going at all how I had imagined it.

"I want to be a Slayer," I told him bluntly, now hoping for a reaction. "Of course, I'll still go to Dartmouth. I want to graduate from college, but I won't turn from my Calling. The Slayer is what I am, what I'm born to be and now, with the possibility of a new future, I want to be one."

Now came the part where Edward would argue with me, fighting me tooth and nail. I was ready for this argument, I had long thought about what I was going to say, so one could say that I was stunned into silence, when Edward just said, "Okay."

"Okay?" I could only squeak.

Nodding, Edward took my hand smiling. "Actually, this is very good. Especially with my training to become a Watcher alongside my medical training. But seeing as I've already got two medical degrees, it shouldn't prove to be a problem to do both things at the same time."

"You knew?" I asked surprised. "You knew that I was going to do this?"

"No," Edward shook his head gently. "But I suspected it, when Alice gave me the go ahead to call Giles to make the necessary arrangements for my training. Dawn will come to Hanover with us, finishing high school and then planning on going to college there as well. She and I will basically train together in a kind of correspondence course. We would need to go to London now and then, but with Dawn this is no problem."

"You could have just told me, you know," I grumbled, as I crawled over to him and settled down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck.

"No, I couldn't," he told me. "You needed to make that decision by yourself. I didn't want to influence you."

Sighing, I gave up. But then I grinned – now Edward's and my future were intertwined in more than one way.

As much as I loved being here in paradise, I now couldn't wait to start my future with Edward at my side.

* * *

_August 25, 2097_

It was raining.

Of course it was, after all, we were in the Olympic Peninsula, near the town of Forks to be precise, where it was always raining. Well, almost always, if the tales of my mom and dad were to be trusted. They just loved to exaggerate sometimes. But as far as I can remember, it had been raining very often, while I had been there. And not to forget the almost constant blanket of clouds.

Still, the rain didn't stop me from pushing my motorbike to its limits. What could happen to me? I loved speed and was invincible after all. My perfect reflexes would never fail. However, I was forced to slow down to abide the speed limit once we reached the town itself. Not much had changed. It was still as small as I remembered it, having only slightly grown in the last twenty or so years since I had been here the last time.

When I slowed, I could hear the other motorbike catch up to me and we came to a halt in front of one of the few traffic lights in town. The other rider pushed the visor up and I could see his golden eyes sparkle in mischief.

"Been trying to lose me back there, luv?"

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "We both know that you have the faster bike, so don't act as if I could lose you. You were letting me win."

His low chuckle was easily audible to me, even as the engine of the bike next to me roared to life. The light changed to green and then he was gone already. He didn't care much for any speed limits, but at least I had managed to convince him not to run over the town's welcome sign. It wouldn't leave a good impression, with us coming to live here for the next few years.

Our family had already shipped all our belongings to the house and we were just running a bit late today. We were the last to arrive and mom had already told us where to meet us. Forks cemetery was still on the outskirts of town. It was still daylight, so we weren't going to the cemetery to patrol. No, today was an important day for my mom and she wanted our whole family to be there.

The rain was letting up, as I pulled to a stop in front of the gates, next to the other motorbike, whose rider was lazily leaning against it. His peroxide blond hair was tousled – and really, peroxide blond was so eighties, and with this I meant the 1980ies – and he was smirking and he had never looked sexier.

When I got off, I took off my helmet and allowed my long bronze colored curls to fall down to my waist. He was immediately by my side, wrapping his arms around my shoulder and whispering something into my ear that made me giggle.

In the close distance, I could hear my dad growl in annoyance.

"Time to face the family," I mumbled, entwining my fingers with his and pulling him over to where my whole family was waiting – the core group that had been living at Forks when my parents met, and the extended family.

Dawn hugged me tightly, before we had even reached the group. I hadn't seen her in more than one year, just as everyone else in the family. We had decided to go separate ways for a while, but our family just couldn't stay separated for long and soon we had looked for a suitable place to stay at together. My mom had shyly suggested Forks, the place where it had all begun more than ninety years ago, and everyone had agreed.

The fact that the Council had just recently located a Slayer here helped a lot. As members of the Watcher's Council it would fall on us to inform her that she was one of about three thousand girls chosen to protect humankind and, if she wanted to, prepare her for her destiny. My mom, currently the second oldest Slayer in existence with her almost one hundred and nine years, would gladly take over the role as Senior Slayer – next to Francesca of course, who was a lot older - and guide her.

Then, when Dawn was done with me, she jumped at my partner, who embraced her tightly. "Hey there, Nibblet."

After Dawn, I greeted everyone with hugs, even her husband and her two kids, twins going by the names of Billy and Joyce, both werewolves just like their father and both not planning on stopping phasing anytime soon. My 'aunts', 'uncles' and 'grandparents' – most of them physically younger than me - greeted me heartily, and my partner as well.

And then, after I had said hello to the largest part of my family – both mortal and immortal alike - I was suddenly standing in front of my parents. I threw my arms around them both, hugging them just as tightly as they were hugging me.

"I missed you, Ness," my mom mumbled.

"I missed you two, too," I replied, before stepping back.

My mom then moved on to hug my partner, telling him to finally get rid of the hairdo, to which he just replied, "Never, pet. Could never betray my style." When he let go off her, he moved to my dad, offering his hand. "Edward."

"William," my dad replied, gripping his hand tightly. At first glance it might seem that my dad and my husband didn't get along, but, while it had taken them some time to warm up to each other, they were now actually pretty good friends. All in all, my husband had been a good addition to our family.

Rolling his eyes, my husband declared, "The name's still Spike."

My dad smirked, as he conceded, "Alright, Spike…" And then they embraced each other briefly in a manly hug. "Good to see you."

Spike returned the smirk and put his arm again around me. "I'd love to say the same, but I'd like it better, if I didn't have to watch my thoughts about your daughter now."

"You better," my dad threatened, causing me and my mom to roll our eyes.

"Come on, dad," I interjected, before he and Spike would start one of their infamous verbal sparring matches, which usually ended with a physical sparring match. "We should go now."

"Of course, Ness," my dad agreed at once. I grinned, knowing full well that I had my father, actually, every male member of our family, even Jake, wrapped around my little finger.

My dad took my mother's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Are you ready, Bella?"

My mom nodded and together the whole family entered the cemetery. We walked along several rows until we stopped in front of a withered headstone, which read,

_Charles Swan_

_1968 – 2047_

_Beloved father, grandfather and friend_

_We will always miss you_

Today was the fiftieth anniversary of grandpa Charlie's death. He had been seventy-nine when he had died, having just fallen asleep and not woken up again. A good age, but still too soon for his family. His second wife Sue had gone from us just a year earlier, but she was buried next to her first husband Harry Clearwater on Charlie's request.

Mom knelt down and put some flowers in front of his grave and I swore that, would she have been able to shed tears, they would now stream down her face. My dad joined her, when she got up again and put his arm around her. She buried her face in his shirt for a moment and we allowed her this moment of privacy. First when she and my dad stepped back, the rest of the family began to lay down different kinds of flowers in front of the stone, around the one from my mother.

We stayed in front of grandpa Charlie's grave for another few moments, each of us lost in our thoughts and memories of him – my human memories of him were a bit fuzzy, but my vampire memories of him all the clearer, and I remembered a man who had enjoyed life, a man who loved fishing, but who loved his family more. Even when first his daughter and then, a bit more than twenty years later, also his granddaughter were changed into vampires.

Suddenly, it started to rain again, or pour would be the better word. While the rain and the cold didn't bother most of us, it was a bit annoying, so grandma Esme's suggestion to go to the house was met with great enthusiasm.

I grabbed Spike's hand and together we slowly strolled back to our motorcycles – we would get wet anyway, so why the hurry? – while the rest of them were running at human speed to their cars. I could hear my mom's laughter, as my dad tried to cover both of them with his jacket while they were running. In the distance I could see their golden eyes sparkle with love and happiness.

I smiled.

My family might be strange, an assortment of the most different characters – vampires, wolves and humans-, my parents might be physically my age, but they were still my family and I loved each one of them more than my life. I would give everything for them, and I knew that they would do the same for me and for every other member of our family.

Soon everyone would talk about the strange new family in town, the Cullens, but we didn't care, as long as we had each other.

My name is Renesmee Carlie Cullen, though everyone calls me Nessie or Ness, even my mom who had been pretty adamant at first to always use Renesmee. I'm twenty-three years old, and if someone asked me how long I've been twenty-three, I'd say, 'A while.'

* * *

**A/N: So, this is it… at least for this story… And I want to thank all of you who've read it and especially those who've left a review, be it either just a nice comment, or constructive critics, I loved them all! You guys are the best and I didn't know what I would do without my readers. It just wouldn't be the same to just write for myself – it always gives me a lot of pleasure to share my work with other people, and even more pleasure when they like it. So thanks a lot! **

**On another note I'd like to announce that while the story of "Blue Moon" is told, the tales of Bella the Vampire Slayer aren't. I'm pretty sure that, while this epilogue might have answered some of your questions, it also raised a lot of new questions, and to answer them, I've decided to write one-shots which will play in this universe. The one-shots will range from the day Willow activated all the Slayers until the time around the epilogue – though not in a chronological order-, and they will be written in various point of views. This collection of one-shots will be called "Aurora Borealis", because of the ever changing lives of the Bella and her family and the different characters they will deal with, just as the polar lights change colors. **

**Well, I hope to get the first one-shot up soon, and I also hope to see you again there!**

**Yours truly**

**ChibiChibi**


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